title: The occurrence of dental caries is associated with atherosclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies have suggested that marginal periodontitis is a risk factor for developing atherosclerosis. The objective of this study was to determine whether caries may also be associated with atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The computed tomography data sets of 292 consecutive patients, 137 women and 155 men with a mean age of 54.1±17.3 years, were analyzed. Caries were quantified based on the number of decayed surfaces of all the teeth, and periodontitis was quantified on the basis of the horizontal bone loss in the jaw. The presence of chronic apical periodontitis (CAP) was assessed, and the aortic atherosclerotic burden was quantified using a calcium scoring method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients with <1 caries surfaces/tooth had a lower atherosclerotic burden (0.13±0.61 mL) than patients with ≥1 caries surfaces/tooth. The atherosclerotic burden was greater in patients with a higher number of lesions with pulpal involvement and more teeth with chronic apical periodontitis. In the logistical regression models, age (Wald 49.3), number of caries per tooth (Wald 26.4), periodontitis (Wald 8.6), and male gender (Wald 11) were found to be independent risk factors for atherosclerosis. In the linear regression analyses, age and the number of decayed surfaces per tooth were identified as influencing factors associated with a higher atherosclerotic burden, and the number of restorations per tooth was associated with a lower atherosclerotic burden.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dental caries, pulpal caries, and chronic apical periodontitis are associated positively, while restorations are associated inversely, with aortic atherosclerotic burden. Prospective studies are required to confirm these observations and answer the question of possible causality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Glodny
authors.forename: Parinaz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nasseri
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crismani
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schoenherr
authors.forename: Anna K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Luger
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bertl
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010485:Periapical Periodontitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000209:etiology
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