Role of diet and dietary habits in causing dental caries among adults reporting to a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan; a case-control study

Exploring the link between self-rated poor oral health and cardiovascular risk: a cross-sectional study using SCORE2

BACKGROUND

Poor oral health is associated with several non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular disease. There are also well-known associations between lifestyle habits, cardiovascular disease, and oral health. In Europe, SCORE2 is a recommended instrument for assessing an individual's risk of a cardiovascular event within 10 years. However, no previous studies have examined the association between self-rated oral health and SCORE2. Using data from a cohort of 40- and 50-year-old individuals in Swedish primary healthcare, the present cross-sectional study investigated the association between self-reported poor oral health and cardiovascular risk assessed with targeted health dialogues and SCORE2.

METHODS

40- and 50-year-old individuals registered at 180 primary healthcare centres in southern Sweden were invited to participate in targeted health dialogues. Self-reported oral health and lifestyle habits were collected using a web questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and blood tests were collected. Data were analysed using group comparisons and regression models.

RESULTS

A total of 9499 individuals agreed to participate in the study and completed a targeted health dialogue between January 1, 2021, and January 10, 2024. The group who reported poor oral health had a higher proportion of high waist-hip ratio, insufficient physical activity, poor eating habits and tobacco use compared with individuals with good self-reported oral health. Significantly higher blood pressure was also noted, as well as elevated plasma glucose levels and low-density lipids. The regression analysis showed a significant association between poor self-rated oral health and cardiovascular risk by SCORE2 among both men and women. In the fully adjusted model, the association remained significant only for women.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that individuals with poor self-rated oral health have higher cardiovascular risk and should be offered screening for unhealthy lifestyle habits to prevent cardiovascular events. We suggest that primary healthcare and dental care cooperate in identifying individuals at risk and intervene using evidence-based methods to prevent and address cardiovascular and oral diseases.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov registration number. NCT04912739. Registration date 2021-06-03, retrospectively registered. Ethical approval was secured from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (registration number 2020-02689 with subsequent amendments).

Oral Microbiome Dynamics in Treated Childhood Caries: A Comparative Study

BACKGROUND

Dental caries is a multifactorial disease that results from interactions of susceptible host, cariogenic microorganisms, and fermentable carbohydrate sources. Our study explored oral microbiome shifts in children before and after dental treatment.

METHODS

Initial saliva samples were collected from caries free, moderate caries, and severe caries children based on the decayed, missing, and filled teeth index (DMFT/dmft) index. After three months of dental treatment, second saliva samples were gathered from the moderate and severe caries groups. The microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene-based high-throughput sequencing.

RESULTS

Most children with caries were between seven and eight years of age (40%), from middle-income group families (61%), highly educated parents (18% secondary level and 75% tertiary level) with good oral hygiene practices. There was a significant increase in alpha-diversity post-dental intervention. Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and Proteobacteria were abundant across all samples. Post-treatment, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes significantly decreased (p < 0.05) while Fusobacteria, Proteobacteria, Spirochaetota, and Synergistota significantly increased (p < 0.05). At genus level, a decreased trend was seen in Streptococcus, Prevotella_7, and Rothia and an increased trend was seen in Fusobacterium, Neisseria, Haemophilus, and Leptotrichia, but was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

This study on Malaysian children highlights that dental caries are influenced by factors like age, socioeconomic status, and diet, with oral microbiome diversity increasing post-treatment, though some harmful bacteria persist, indicating a need for targeted oral health education and further research on probiotics' role in caries prevention.

Biopolymer-based oral films integrated with probiotic active compounds for improved health applications

Orally dissolving films (ODFs) have emerged as a versatile platform that combines convenience, efficacy, and patient compliance. In this study, the cell-free supernatant of the oral probiotic Streptococcus salivarius M18 was incorporated into various biopolymer-based ODF formulations, evaluated for demolding, fragility, and flexibility. The combination of carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, and glycerol successfully formed stable films. The films were characterized by weight, thickness, pH, and disintegration times. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to analyze ODF content and release profiles in simulated saliva. Unique absorption peaks in the cell-free product-incorporated ODF samples confirmed the integration of bacterial proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids into the ODF matrix. The biological activity of the ODF carrying M18 bioactive products was assessed by its inhibitory effect on the growth of Streptococcus mutans, a pathogen linked to dental plaque and cavities. Additionally, the anti-proliferative effect on cancer epithelial cells was demonstrated. This study show that probiotic products can be integrated into bio-based thin films without losing activity, making this delivery platform promising for local and potentially systemic effects.

Maternal Diet Associates with Offspring Bone Mineralization, Fracture Risk and Enamel Defects in Childhood and Influences the Prenatal Effect of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation

We previously demonstrated a beneficial effect of high-dose vitamin D in pregnancy on offspring bone and dental health. Here, we investigated the effect of maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy on the risk of bone fractures, bone mineralization and enamel defects until age 6 years in the offspring. Further, the influence of diet on the effect of high-dose vitamin D was analyzed in the COPSAC2010 mother-child cohort including 623 mother-child pairs. A weighted network analysis on FFQs revealed three specific maternal dietary patterns that associated (Bonferroni p < 0.05) with both offspring bone and dental health. The effect of prenatal high-dose (2800 IU/day) vs. standard-dose (400 IU/day) vitamin D on offspring bone mineral content (adjusted mean difference (aMD): 33.29 g, 95% CI: 14.48-52.09, p < 0.001), bone mineral density (aMD: 0.02 g/cm2 (0.01-0.04), p < 0.001), fracture risk (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 0.36 (0.16-0.84), p = 0.02), and enamel defects in primary (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.13 (0.03-0.58), p < 0.01) and permanent molars (aOR: 0.25; (0.10-0.63), p < 0.01) was most pronounced when mothers had lower intake of fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, sweets, whole grain, offal and fish. This study suggests that prenatal dietary patterns influence offspring bone and dental development, and should be considered in order to obtain the full benefits of vitamin D to enhance personalized supplementation strategy.