Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between periodontal disease and peptic ulcers in a working population.
Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to all employees of a large insurance company in Japan. The questionnaire asked about their health status and lifestyle habits. Peptic ulcer was defined as either stomach ulcer, duodenal ulcer, or both. For the evaluation of periodontal disease, three indices were used: (a) loss of five or more teeth, (b) having been told of having periodontitis, and (c) periodontal risk score.
Results: Of the eligible 28 765 subjects analyzed, peptic ulcer was present in 397 (1.4%). The results of bivariate analyses showed that a significantly higher proportion of subjects with peptic ulcer reported that they lost five or more teeth (35.3 vs. 17.4%, p<0.001) or that they were told they had periodontitis (33.5 vs. 20.7%, p<0.001). Moreover, the periodontal risk score was higher for those with peptic ulcer than those without (mean 0.83 vs. 0.59, p<0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, statistical associations were found between the presence of peptic ulcer and loss of five or more teeth (odds ratio (OR): 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13-1.76, p<0.01), having been told of having periodontitis (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.03-1.59, p<0.05), and a 1-point increase in the periodontal risk score (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.04-1.30, p<0.01), respectively.
Conclusion: Modest but statistically significant associations were found between the self-reported measures of periodontal disease and peptic ulcers.