Association between toothbrushing and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

PLoS One. 2021 May 27;16(5):e0243686. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243686. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Periodontitis, as chronic inflammatory destructive disease, is associated metabolic syndromes bidirectionally. Toothbrushing is an essential and important way to manage periodontitis through mechanical removal of biofilm at periodontal tissue. We aimed to assess the association between toothbrushing frequency and the prevalent NAFLD in nationally representative Korean adults. Among adults aged 19 years and older who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2010, a total of 6,352 subjects were analyzed. NAFLD was defined as fatty liver index ≥60. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). An inverse association between toothbrushing frequency and NAFLD was found. The adjusted ORs (95% CIs) of NALFD was 0.56 (0.35-0.91) in the group who performed toothbrushing ≥ 3 per day compared to the group that performed toothbrushing ≤ 1 per day. For those with toothbrushing frequency ≤1 per day, the adjusted OR (95% CIs) of NAFLD was 2.26 (1.22-4.19) in smokers and 4.52 (1.97-10.38) in subjects with diabetes mellitus (DM), compared to those without the disease and with toothbrushing frequency ≥2 per day, respectively. Our results indicate that higher frequency of toothbrushing is inversely associated with NAFLD. As a modifiable oral habit, regular toothbrushing may be recommended to lower risk of NAFLD, especially in high risk groups such as smokers and diabetic patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Alcohol Drinking / adverse effects
  • Cholesterol / metabolism
  • Fatty Liver / complications
  • Fatty Liver / epidemiology
  • Fatty Liver / microbiology
  • Fatty Liver / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Liver / microbiology
  • Liver / pathology
  • Male
  • Metabolic Syndrome / complications
  • Metabolic Syndrome / epidemiology
  • Metabolic Syndrome / microbiology
  • Metabolic Syndrome / prevention & control*
  • Middle Aged
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / complications
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / epidemiology
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / microbiology
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / prevention & control*
  • Periodontitis / complications
  • Periodontitis / epidemiology
  • Periodontitis / microbiology
  • Periodontitis / prevention & control*
  • Republic of Korea
  • Risk Factors
  • Toothbrushing*

Substances

  • Cholesterol

Grants and funding

This research was supported by a grant of the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant number: HI18C0275). The funding acquisition was performed by S.K. The funder had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.