Tooth loss and cardiovascular disease mortality risk--results from the Scottish Health Survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Tooth loss is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality risk. This association may however be due to residual confounding. We aimed to assess whether tooth loss is associated with specific CVD mortality endpoints in a national population sample adjusting for potential confounders.

Methods and results

We used a prospective cohort design and data from the Scottish Health Survey. We combined data from surveys in 1995, 1998, 2003 and linked this to mortality records. Dental status was classified through self-reports as natural teeth only, natural teeth and dentures, and no natural teeth (edentate). Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate risk of CVD mortality by dental status adjusting for potential confounders. The sample consiste

SUBMITTER: Watt RG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3282705 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature