Lower risk for cardiovascular mortality for patients with root filled teeth in a Finnish population

Aim To investigate the relationship of radiographic evidence of root filled teeth to cardiovascular outcomes. Methodology Baseline data for 506 subjects including 256 angiographically verified heart disease patients and 250 matched cardiologically healthy controls participating in the Kuopio Oral Health and Heart study were collected in 1995–1996. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortalities were accrued until 31 May 2015 and appended to the baseline data. Mortality status data were obtained from the Finnish National Death Register where all mortality cases and the causes of death are compiled for all Finnish citizens. Of the 506 participants, 473 subjects who had no missing values in the predictor, outcome or confounding factors were included in the analyses to assess the relationship of radiographic evidence of root filled teeth with prevalent coronary artery disease (CAD) cross sectionally and also with CVD mortality longitudinally. Multivariable logistic regression was used for the cross‐sectional part and proportional hazard regression analyses for the longitudinal part of the study were used adjusting for age, sex, smoking, edentulism, diabetes, hypertension, total/HDL cholesterol ratio and income. Additionally, whether this association was independent of periodontitis, and a systemic marker of inflammation, serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) was examined. Results Having ≥1 root filled teeth was associated with 84% lower odds of prevalent CAD with Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.09–0.28, P