Overweight and obesity weakly predict the development of periodontal infection

P>Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the association between body weight and periodontal infection in a longitudinal setting. Material and methods This study was based on a subpopulation of the Health 2000 Survey that included dentate, non-diabetic subjects aged 30-59 years, who had never smoked and who had participated in the Follow-Up Study on Finnish Adults' Oral Health approximately 4 years later (n=396). The number of new teeth with deepened (4 mm deep or deeper) periodontal pockets in the follow-up examination was used as the outcome variable. Body weight was measured using body mass index, categorized into three categories: < 25.0 (normal weight), 25.0-29.9 (overweight) and 30.0 or more (obesity). Incidence rate ratios were estimated using Poisson's regression models. Results Body weight was weakly, but not statistically significantly, associated with the number of new teeth with deepened periodontal pockets among subjects who were periodontally healthy in the baseline examinations, whereas only a minuscule association was found among subjects who had periodontal infection at baseline. Conclusions The results of this follow-up study do not provide evidence that overweight and obesity can be considered significant risk factors in the pathogenesis of periodontal infection.