The frequency of dental abscesses increases in periods of low barometric pressure.
Bioclimatic conditions are thought to have an impact on the frequency of dental abscesses but previous studies have suffered from small patient cohorts, methodological obstacles, and restriction to a single site resulting in limited geographic and meteorological variability. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of environmental temperature and barometric pressure on the frequency of dental abscesses. Three maxillofacial and two dental clinics in Vienna retrospectively provided a total of 19,218 patients with dentoalveolar abscesses who were treated by intraoral incision between 1998 and 2011. Daily records from six local meteorological stations were consulted to assess daily meteorological parameters. Univariate and multivariate hurdle count regression models were fitted to estimate the effect of daily average barometric pressure and temperature on registered abscess frequencies. Temporal confounders causing variance of the observed abscess frequencies - such as weekday, business day, and month - were taken into consideration. On days of low barometric pressure a significant rise in dental abscess frequency was observed, even when adjusting for confounders. Environmental temperature, in contrast, did not show any effect. In conclusion, bioclimatic conditions affect health as low barometric pressure increases the number of patients with dental abscesses.
University Clinic of Cranio-Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: rudolf.seemann@gmail.com.
Rudolf
R
Seemann
Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, Hohe Warte 38, Vienna, Austria.
Otto
O
Svabik
Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, Hohe Warte 38, Vienna, Austria.
Alexander
A
Orlik
Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Michael
M
Figl
University Clinic of Blood Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Michael B
MB
Fischer
University Clinic of Cranio-Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Kurt
K
Schicho
Sanatory Hera, Loeblichgasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Arno
A
Wutzl
Bernhard Gottlieb University Clinic of Dentistry, Waehringerstrasse 25, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Johannes
J
Forster
Ambulatory Wienerberg City, Hertha-Firnberg-Strasse 10/2/1, 1100 Vienna, Austria.
Philip
P
Jesch
University Clinic of Cranio-Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Christos
C
Perisanidis
University Clinic of Cranio-Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Gerhard
G
Undt
Institute of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital Hietzing, Wolkersbergenstrasse 1, 1130 Vienna, Austria.
Werner
W
Millesi
D000038:Abscess / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D001274:Atmospheric Pressure; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010508:Periodontal Abscess / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*
Abscess; Meteorological factors; Pressure; Temperature; Weather