The Relationship between Oral Health, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease: A Dental Anxiety Perspective
Aims:
Oral diseases, affecting over 3.5 billion people globally, are closely linked to systemic noncommunicable diseases. Dental anxiety which is a major barrier to dental attendance may contribute to poor oral health and subsequent chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This project aims to clarify the behavioral and psychosocial mechanisms connecting dental anxiety, oral health, and cardiometabolic health across the life course.
Progress and methods:
During the first year of the SYS-LIFE fellowship, cross-sectional and multi-group structural equation modeling was applied to the Northern Finland Birth Cohorts (NFBC1966 and NFBC1986) to investigate pathways linking dental anxiety, oral health behaviors, periodontal symptoms, and cardiovascular risk. These analyses provided initial evidence for both indirect and direct associations between dental anxiety and systemic health indicators.
Preliminary findings were presented at the IADR 2025 (Barcelona) and Nordic Dental Meeting 2025 (Gothenburg), contributing to international discussions on behavioral mechanisms in oral–systemic health.
Expected impact:
By integrating population-based epidemiology with behavioral and psychosocial perspectives, this research aims to establish dental anxiety as a modifiable public-health factor influencing systemic health. The findings may inform early prevention and cross-sectoral strategies that bridge oral and general health.