Number of teeth is independently associated with ischemic stroke: A case-control study

•Poor oral health can be a potential risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.•Our results confirmed that the number of teeth was independent and inversely associated with the occurrence of ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA).•This study is novel in confirming the relation between poor oral health and adverse cerebrovascular events in a southern Brazilian population.•Our results suggested a gradient effect on the association between oral health and IS. Poor oral health has been suggested as a potential risk factor for the occurrence of cardiovascular events. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that the number of permanent natural teeth (NT) is independently associated with the occurrence of ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in a southern Brazilian population. This case-control study enrolled 458 subjects, 229 hospital patients diagnosed with IS or TIA (cases) and 229 patients with no history of cardiovascular disease (controls). NT was assessed through a head and neck multidetector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) and panoramic radiographs. The participants were matched by age and sex. Sociodemographic and medical confounding variables were obtained from the hospital charts and through a structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis were carried out to estimate the association between NT and the occurrence of IS or TIA. The mean age was 58.37 ± 10.75 years, with 46.7% males. Adjusted analyses showed an independent association between IS or TIA and hypertension (OR = 6.34, 95%CI = 3.93–10.24), smoking (OR = 4.70, 95%CI = 2.76–7.99) and NT (lower quartile: ≤7 teeth) (OR = 5.59, 95%CI = 2.88–10.86). The number of permanent natural teeth was inversely and independently associated with the occurrence of IS or TIA in this population. Present findings suggest a gradient effect on the association between oral health and IS.