Involvement of psychosocial factors in the association of obesity with periodontitis

The present case-control study of 79 subjects (19-69 yr) was designed to assess the relationship of several psychological determinants to periodontal disease and obesity. Periodontal clinical examinations were performed, and the subjects were asked to complete a set of questionnaires measuring Type A personality, anxiety, depression, dental anxiety, hopelessness, emotional intelligence, stress, self-esteem, optimism and satisfaction with life. In a bivariate analysis, overweight individuals presented higher levels of smoking exposure, anxiety and depression and lower levels of optimism and satisfaction with life. They were mainly females, with a higher number of sites and teeth with probing depth (PD) >6 mm and clinical attachment level (CAL) >5 mm. Patients with a mean PD exceeding 3 mm and a bleeding on probing index of >25% presented higher values of dental anxiety and lower levels of self-esteem. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that dental anxiety was positively associated with the number of teeth with a PD of >6 mm and with reasons for visiting a dentist, while satisfaction with life was associated with flossing frequency. We conclude that there is an association between several psychological determinants, periodontitis, and body mass index.