The Impact of Childhood Obesity on Adult Dental Caries: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Background/Objectives: This study investigates the association between childhood obesity and the incidence of dental caries in adulthood. The primary objective is to determine whether metabolic disorders experienced during the developmental years can have long-term impacts on oral health, thereby contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of dental growth and development. Methods: The research was conducted using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from European populations within a Mendelian Randomization (MR) framework. Results: The analysis revealed a significant positive association between childhood obesity, BMI, and dental caries types 1 and 3, with OR values consistently higher than 1.05 or 1.12 (p < 0.05), except for MR Egger. ICD10 obesity was also strongly associated with dental caries 1 and 3. No significant associations were found between obesity/BMI and dental caries type 2, or between waist-to-hip ratio (adjusted for BMI) and dental caries (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The findings suggest that metabolic disorders during the growth period may have a lasting influence on the development of dental caries later in life. This research is the first study to explore the impact of childhood metabolic disorders on adult dental caries, highlighting its importance in the field of dental and public health.