Endodontic inflammatory disease: A risk indicator for a first myocardial infarction

Aim To study the association between endodontic inflammatory disease and a first myocardial infarction (MI). Methodology The study comprised 805 patients with recent experience of a first MI, each gender, age and geographically matched with a control. Panoramic radiographs were available for 797 patients and 796 controls. Endodontic inflammatory disease was assessed radiographically. The sum of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) was calculated, and the number of root filled teeth and teeth with periapical lesions were recorded. The associated risk of a first MI was expressed as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), unadjusted and adjusted for confounders (family history of cardiovascular disease, smoking habits, marital status, education and diabetes). Results Patients who had suffered a first MI had higher DMFT (mean 22.5 vs. 21.9, p = .013) and more missing teeth (mean 7.5 vs. 6.3; p