The Association between Dental Caries and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scoping Review

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Several epidemiological studies have reported oral health as one of the risk factors for CVD. This scoping review aimed to present evidence from published reports regarding the association between dental caries and CVD incidence. The search strategy was conducted using available databases (PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest) for studies published from January 2013 to December 2023 in the English language. The retrieved articles were further evaluated according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 24 relevant articles were selected for review to support the evidence based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for scoping review guidelines. Furthermore, 12 cross-sectional, 5 case-control, and 7 cohort studies reported a correlation between dental caries and CVD incidence. The results of this review suggest an association between dental caries and CVD through oral infection or pathogen-induced oral inflammatory mediators. Moreover, other potential factors that increase the risk of CVD include age, hypertension, tobacco smoking, diabetes mellitus, stress, genetic predisposition, physical activity, alcohol consumption, health behaviors, obesity, antibiotic supplementation, awareness of oral health, access to health care, nutrition, and low socioeconomic status. Despite the limited number of studies, there is much evidence of an association between dental caries and CVD incidence. Understanding the association between dental caries and CVD plays a pivotal role in patient education and treatment planning. To expand the search source and evidence, future systematic reviews and meta-analyses should investigate the associations between dental caries and CVD.