Systemic Factors Associated with Caries Outcomes: Toward a Medically Integrated Risk Model Using Electronic Health...

Area of Science:

• Oral Health Research
• Medical Informatics
• Public Health

Background:

• Dental caries is a multifactorial disease influenced by various health conditions.
• Traditional caries risk assessment often overlooks systemic factors and medication effects.
• Integrating medical and dental data is crucial for comprehensive patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify systemic conditions, medication exposures, and clinical factors associated with caries outcomes.
• To inform the development of a medically integrated caries risk framework.
• To enhance caries risk assessment for medically complex patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of ~7,000 patients with integrated electronic health records.
• Analysis of chronic medical conditions, medication use, and social determinants of health.
• Evaluation of caries outcomes including CAMBRA risk, DMFT, DMFS, and incident caries using statistical models.

Main Results:

• Hypertension, diabetes, HIV, and obesity were significantly associated with caries outcomes (p < 0.05).
• Certain medications (antihypertensives, antihistamines, psychotherapeutics) showed associations with caries.
• Age significantly influenced these relationships, with age-dependent effects observed for conditions like hypertension and HIV.

Conclusions:

• Systemic conditions and medication use are key factors in dental caries.
• Age plays a crucial role in modifying the relationship between medical factors and caries.
• A medically integrated caries risk framework is essential for personalized prevention and management.