Burden of oral diseases predicted the development of excess weight in early adolescence

Dental caries (tooth decay), gingivitis (gum inflammation), and excess weight are common health conditions in children, sharing similar risk factors. We investigated whether caries or gingivitis precedes the development of excess weight or abdominal obesity in early adolescence.

The study included 2,702 children. They participated in the first phase of the Fin-HIT study in 2013 and 2014, when they were on average 11 years old, and in the second phase two years later. At both times, the children's height, weight, and waist circumference were measured or self-reported. In addition, information about the children's oral health was obtained from a national outpatient register (Avohilmo) maintained by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. Dental caries was estimated with the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index in the permanent teeth and gingivitis/calculus with the community periodontal index for treatment needs (CPITN).

One in four children had or had had cavities, and more than two-thirds had gingivitis or calculus. One-fifth of the children had both cavities and gingivitis/calculus. Five percent of the children developed excess weight or abdominal obesity during the two-year follow-up. Caries or gingivitis/calculus alone were not associated with the development of excess weight or abdominal obesity. Only the co-occurrence of these oral diseases was associated with the development of excess weight, but the same was not observed for abdominal obesity.

The information obtained from the study could be used in the prevention of excess weight by identifying normal-weight children with poor oral health and targeting preventive measures at them. However, based on the results, we do not know whether the simultaneous occurrence of caries and gingivitis/calculus causes excess weight, or whether these conditions only share common risk factors. Further research is needed to clarify the causal relationship.

Original article:
Burden of oral diseases predicts development of excess weight in early adolescence: a 2-year longitudinal study.
Lommi S, Leinonen J, Pussinen P, Furuholm J, Kolho K-L, Viljakainen H. European Journal of Pediatrics. 2024.