Periodontal Status Among Adolescents With Obesity

Method: Obese adolescents (n = 40) and normal weight subjects (n =42) with a mean age of 14.4 years were clinically examined with respect to dental plaque, gingival inflammation, periodontal pockets and incipient alveolar bone loss. The subjects answered a questionnaire concerning medical conditions, and oral hygiene habits. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and adjusted for age and gender (BMI-SDS). BMI>30 was defined as obese. The flow rate of whole saliva was measured and samples of whole saliva were analyzed for the levels of interleukin-1 β (IL- β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF- α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and insulin.

Result: The adolescents with obesity had more chronic diseases and used more medical drugs than the adolescents with normal weight (P<0.05). Visible plaque index >25% (VPI%), bleeding on probing (BOP%), the number of pathological gingival pockets (≥4 mm) were significantly higher (P<0.05) among the obese subjects. Flow rate of stimulated whole saliva was significantly lower 1.2 vs. 1.9 ml/min (P< 0.001) and the concentration of insulin in whole saliva was higher 204 vs. 61 pg/ml among the obese adolescents compared to the adolescents with normal weight.

Conclusion: This study indicates that there is an association between obesity and early signs in periodontitis. This study also showed that adolescents with obesity has reduced flow rate of whole saliva which further strengthens obesity’s negative effect on oral health. The clinical relevance of the increased levels of insulin in whole saliva among adolescents with obesity needs further investigation.