Home oral hygiene is associated with blood pressure profiles: Results of a nationwide survey in Italian pharmacies

Abstract

Aim: Periodontal diseases are associated with cardiovascular risk factors/diseases, and whether home oral hygiene practices are inversely related to the same conditions could carry relevant practical implications. We investigated the association of home oral hygiene habits with hypertension. Materials and Methods: During World Hypertension Day 2020, a nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted on volunteers ≥18 years at 733 Italian pharmacies. Participants underwent standardized blood pressure (BP) measurement and answered a questionnaire on cardiovascular risk factors, oral health status, and home oral hygiene habits (toothbrushing daily frequency and manual/electric toothbrush). The association between home oral care habits and BP was assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Interactions between exposures and outcome were formally tested. Results: Among the 4506 participants (44.8% males, 66.1 ± 37.8 years), 47.6% reported brushing ≥3 times/day and 23.4% declared using the electric toothbrush. Brushing ≥3 versus <3 times/day and use of electric versus manual toothbrush were associated with 19% (odds ratio [OR]: 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70–0.94) and 28% (OR: 0.72, 95% CI 0.61–0.85) lower odds of hypertension, respectively. No significant additive interaction was observed in the association of exposures with the outcome. Conclusions: Regular daily brushing and electric toothbrushing are associated with a better BP profile in a real-world context. Future interdisciplinary research is warranted to test these findings.