Oral/periodontal conditions are closely associated with general health status and comorbidity profiles

Abstract

Background & Aim: Oral health as an integrated component of general health is neglected in healthcare regime and policy. This study investigated the potential association of overall diseases and conditions with oral/periodontal conditions in dental hospital attendees.

Methods: The dental records of 1.293 subjects firstly registered to The Prince Philip Dental Hospital in July‐August 2017 were screened following inclusion criteria. 465 dentate Chinese (aged ≥35 yrs) were selected for further checking their overall profiles of diseases and conditions, through the medical record systems (ePR) in Hong Kong. The medical files and comorbidity records of 449 subjects were subsequently examined, and the diseases and conditions were coded using the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD‐10)‐WHO. Medical comorbidities were grouped according to the chapters and blocks of ICD‐10 (C00‐N39). Oral conditions were classified as ‘Health’ with 25–28 teeth present and full‐mouth bone level (FMBL) ≥80%, or ‘Compromised oral/periodontal status’ with 1–24 teeth present and FMBL <80%; and those not‐classified were excluded.

Results: 315 subjects including 182 females and 133 males aged 56.7 ± 13.1 years (35–97 years) were included in final data analysis. Overall, the 140 subjects with ‘Compromised oral/periodontal status’ exhibited significantly more comorbidities on the basis of the number of chapters (3.5 ± 2.3 vs. 2.5 ± 2.2, p < 0.001) and blocks (4.7 ± 3.5 vs. 3.2 ± 3.0, p < 0.001) than the 175 healthy controls. Moreover, the comorbidities in i) Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases; ii) Diseases of the eye and adnexa; iii) Diseases of the circulatory system; and iv) Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, among those with ‘Compromised oral/periodontal status’ occurred more frequently than the controls (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: This cohort study provides the first evidence that oral/periodontal conditions are closely associated with the general health status and medical comorbidity profiles. A patient‐centered, dento‐medical co‐management scheme could be promoted and implemented through a good teamwork for better oral and general healthcare.