Relationship of toothbrushing to metabolic syndrome in middle‐aged adults.

Abstract: Aim: To examine the effect of toothbrushing on the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS), including assessment of periodontal status, in middle‐aged adults. Methods: This 5‐year follow‐up retrospective study was performed in 3,722 participants (2,897 males and 825 females) aged 35–64 years who underwent both medical check‐ups and dental examinations. Metabolic components included obesity, elevated triglycerides, blood pressure, fasting glucose and reduced high‐density lipoprotein. Toothbrushing frequency was assessed using a questionnaire. Periodontal disease was defined as having at least one site with a pocket depth of ≥4 mm. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between toothbrushing frequency at the baseline examination and the development of MetS (≥3 components). Results: During follow‐up, 11.1% of participants developed MetS. After adjusting for potential confounders including periodontal disease, participants with more frequent daily toothbrushing tended to have significantly lower odds of developing MetS (<italic>p</italic> for trend = .01). The risk of development of MetS was significantly lower in participants brushing teeth ≥3 times/day than in those brushing teeth ≤1 time/day (odds ratio = 0.64, 95% confidence interval = 0.45–0.92). Conclusions: Frequent daily toothbrushing was associated with lower risk of development of MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]