Association Between Metabolic Syndrome and Dental Caries in Adults: The HUNT4 Oral Health Study

Abstract Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS)-a cluster of conditions including dysglycemia, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension-raises the risk of cardiovascular disease and other systemic complications. Emerging evidence suggests it may also be associated with dental caries, possibly due to shared risk factors like diet and inflammation. This study aimed to examine the association between MetS and dental caries in adults. Methods This cross-sectional study utilized data from participants of the HUNT4 Oral Health Study (2017-2019), who answered questionnaires and underwent clinical and radiographic examinations. MetS was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria (2001). Negative binomial regression models were used to assess the associations between dental caries - measured as total caries experience (i.e., number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth; D3-5MFT) and number of decayed teeth (i.e., teeth with dentin caries; D3-5T) - and MetS, as well as its individual components. Results are presented as ratios of means (RMs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for confounders. Results The study included 4,728 individuals (55.9% women) with a mean age 51.4 years (SD 16.3). MetS was prevalent in 34.9% of participants. Mean D3-5MFT was 14.9 (range: 0-28). MetS was associated with an increased mean number of D3-5MFT (RM: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02-1.06), though no significant association was found with D3-5T alone. Total caries experience increased with the number of MetS components present in adults. Among individual components of MetS, abdominal obesity (RM:1.07; 95% CI: 1.04-1.09) and elevated triglyceride levels (RM:1.02; 95% CI: 1.00-1.06) demonstrated the strongest associations with caries experience. Conclusions We observed that both the presence of MetS and a higher number of its components were associated with increased dental caries experience. Key messages • Metabolic syndrome was associated with greater dental caries experience (D3-5MFT), but not with the number of untreated decayed teeth (D3-5T) in adults. • Total dental caries experience (D3-5MFT) increased with the number of metabolic syndrome components present in adults.