BARIATRIC SURGERY AND PERIODONTAL HEALTH: PERSPECTIVES ON PERIODONTAL DISEASE INDEX AND DECAY MISSING FILLED INDEX

Aim: To analyze the impact of bariatric surgery on periodontal health by assessing the PDI (Periodontal Disease Index) and DMFT (Decay Missing Filled Index) in patients with obesity. The study seeks to correlate weight loss and changes in systemic inflammation with improvements in oral hygiene and periodontal status, contributing to the understanding of the interaction between obesity, oral health, and the effects of bariatric intervention. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 subjects with a mean age of 40.1±10.0 years were included. Patients admitted to the Surgery Department III of St. Spiridon Hospital in Iași, diagnosed with obesity, and who underwent bariatric surgery were enrolled in this research. The periodontal status of the subjects was recorded. Body Mass Index (BMI) was used as a measure to evaluate obesity. Variables such as age, sex, smoking habits, and brushing frequency, which could act as covariates for periodontal disease, were recorded. The data were analyzed using Chi-square and sign tests (significance level P < 0.005). Statistical Analysis: Frequency distribution was used to determine the prevalence of several variables, cross-tabulations, and Chi-square tests were employed to determine the significance of differences. Additionally, a multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: Periodontal disease is significantly associated with age, gender, OHIS, DMFT, PDI, smoking, and obesity. The final multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for age, gender, OHIS, and smoking, showed that obese individuals (with a BMI > 40) have a 60.07% higher risk (95% confidence interval: 1.02–2.78) of developing periodontal disease compared to individuals with grade I/II obesity. Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrated a significant association between obesity and periodontal disease. However, further investigations are required to analyze and clarify the relationship between bariatric interventions and the incidence of dental conditions.