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Objective: To investigate the role of smoking as a confounding factor in the association between periodontal pocketing and blood pressure. Materials and methods: After restriction to 45–64-year-old subjects without hypertension, diabetes, rheumatic diseases, obesity and with no history of cardiovascular diseases or ongoing lipid-lowering medications, the study population consisted of 307 subjects of the Health 2000 Survey in Finland. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse pressure (mmHg) were used as outcome variables. Periodontal condition was measured by the number of teeth with ≥4 mm periodontal pockets. β-estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained from linear regression models. Analyses were made in the whole study population and stratified according to smoking habits/history. Results: The number of teeth with ≥4 mm periodontal pockets associated statistically significantly with systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure in the whole study population. Among never-smokers or daily smokers, there were no consistent nor statistically significant associations between the number of teeth with ≥4 mm periodontal pockets and systolic/diastolic blood pressure or pulse pressure. Conclusions: Smoking appeared to confound the association between periodontal condition and blood pressure. Thorough control for the effect of smoking was not obtained using multivariate models.

Our aim was to investigate the mutual relationship between oral and general health behaviours and oral and general subjective health among adults, and to explore whether sense of coherence (SOC) could be a common health-promoting correlate for them.The present study included data for 4096 30- to 64-year-old dentate adults (2177 females and 1919 males).In the nationally representative, cross-sectional sample including 8028 persons aged 30, or more, 88% were surveyed. The questionnaire and home interview included information about socio-economic and demographic factors, behavioural and psycho-social variables. Chi-square test and logistic regression models were used in the data analysis.The main outcome measures were oral health behaviours (regular dental attendance, twice a day tooth-brushing frequency), general health behaviours (non-smoking habits, physical activity at least twice a week), subjective oral and general health and the SOC (12-item) scale.Among females, positive health behaviours tended to occur together significantly more often than among males. Thus, 83% of females with more than once a week physical exercise frequency, and 79% of the non-smoking females, brushed their teeth at least twice a day, while the corresponding figures for the males were merely 55% and 50%. A strong SOC was associated with uniformly positive health behaviours and subjective oral and general health.Our results suggest that a strong SOC has a universal positive association with several health behaviours and subjective health measures, also concerning oral health. Thus, the role of psycho-social factors should not be underestimated in health promotion.

Aim: This study aimed to find salivary enzymes and/or cytokines that would reflect periodontitis, alone or in combination with salivary microbial markers. Material and Methods: The salivary concentrations of elastase, lactate dehydrogenase, interleukin-1? (IL-1?), interleukin-6, and tumour necrosis factor-?, and the presence of five periodontal pathogens, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola, were analysed from salivary specimens of 165 subjects, a subpopulation of Health 2000 Health Examination Survey in Finland; 84 of the subjects had probing pocket depth (PPD) of ?4 mm at 14 or more teeth (the advanced periodontitis group), while 81 subjects had no teeth with PPD of ?4 mm (the control group). All subjects had at least 20 teeth and no systemic diseases. Results: Among the salivary cytokines and enzymes tested, IL-1? was the only biomarker associated with periodontitis. An association was also found with the presence of multiple periodontal pathogens. Salivary IL-1? and the presence of multiple periodontal pathogens were associated with periodontitis at the same magnitude, when they were in the logistic regression model individually or together. Conclusion: We suggest that salivary IL-1? and the presence of multiple periodontal pathogens in saliva should be studied more thoroughly as markers of periodontitis. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S., Gursoy, U. K.; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; email: ulvi.gursoy@helsinki.fi