Addressing Selection and Confounding Biases in Dental Claims Data: A Causal Inference Framework for...

Administrative health care data offer unique opportunities to investigate relationships between oral and systemic diseases. However, these data sources introduce methodological challenges that can compromise causal inference. This article demonstrates how, in the context of claims databases, selection bias (i.e., arising from restricting analyses to individuals with both dental and medical insurance) creates a collider structure that can distort estimates of periodontal treatment effects on systemic disease outcomes. Drawing on causal inference theory, we distinguish between confounding (resulting from common causes) and selection bias (resulting from common effects) and demonstrate how directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) can identify these biases and inform rigorous analytical strategies. Therefore, the goal of this article is to demonstrate how selection and confounding biases in administrative health care claims data can compromise causal inference in periodontal-systemic disease research and to introduce methodological approaches for addressing these threats. Our review of 7 studies investigating periodontal-systemic disease associations using claims data reveals methodological gaps in addressing selection bias in the current literature. Moreover, through a numerical example, we illustrate how selection bias can not only distort but also potentially reverse observed associations, producing contradictory clinical recommendations. To address these methodological threats, we introduce established causal inference strategies, referencing implementation tutorials: for confounding, we reference G-methods (G-formula, inverse probability weighting) and stratification-based approaches (regression, matching); for selection bias, we reference inverse probability of selection weighting approaches when data on nonselected individuals are available. To improve methodological rigor in oral-systemic research, we advocate for (1) routine use of DAGs with freely available software, (2) application of bias-correction techniques using established statistical packages, and (3) transparent reporting of bias assessment procedures. Strengthening causal inference methodology in dental research is paramount to building a robust evidence base on periodontal-systemic relationships that supports clinical decision making and integration of oral health into broader health care frameworks.