Optimism and life satisfaction as determinants for dental and general health behavior -- oral health habits linked to cardiovascular risk factors

Abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by Dr Trevor Watts

Abstract

Unhealthy habits help to explain the link between periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases.

Main

Ylöstalo PV, Ek E et al. J Dent Res 2003; 82: 194–199

One explanation of the association between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease is that they share common behavioural factors. A birth cohort of 12058 31-yr-old people in Northern Finland was sent a questionnaire on general health and oral health, including optimism and life satisfaction, and 8690 replied. Of these, 6033 were examined to assess cardiovascular risk factors.

Better dental health behaviour related mainly to higher levels of education, optimism and life satisfaction. Better general health behaviour related mainly to the same factors and also higher income level.

Subjects with better dental health habits reported less tooth loss, caries, gingival bleeding and dental pain, and the same associations were seen when general health habits were considered. Better dental health habits were also associated with lower levels of hypertension, serum cholesterol and triglycerides, body mass index and waist circumference, as were better general health habits.