SynthesisInternational dental journal2026
Association Between Body Mass Index and Dental Caries Severity in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in International dental journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Should body mass index be considered when assessing caries severity in adults?Evidence-based dentistry · 2026Pooled it
- Obesity and Dental Caries: A State-of-the-Art Review of Shared Risk Factors, Biological Mechanisms and Current Evidence.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- "Health literacy, health behavior, and demographic determinants of BMI status among pre-older adults: a cross-sectional study".BMC nutrition · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND
aimsWhile the association between body mass index (BMI) and dental caries in adults is debated, prior meta-analyses have primarily focused on caries prevalence using dichotomous outcomes. This study offers a novel approach by aiming to quantitatively synthesize the relationship between BMI and the burden of dental caries, using continuous data from the mean DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled teeth) and DT (decayed teeth) indices in adults.
methodsPubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science were searched through March 2025 for observational studies comparing DMFT/DT scores across BMI categories in adults. Methodological quality was assessed using the AHRQ checklist. Data were pooled using random-effects models, with subgroup analyses conducted to explore heterogeneity. Evidence certainty was evaluated using the GRADE framework.
resultsTwelve cross-sectional studies (n = 85,975) were included. Obese adults had higher DMFT scores than normal-weight individuals (WMD: 1.75, 95% CI: 0.05-3.46), though statistical significance was lost in sensitivity analysis. A more robust association was found for the combined overweight/obese group (WMD: 1.28, 95% CI: 0.17-2.39). For DT, significant associations emerged only in high-income countries for overweight (WMD: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.39-0.81) and combined overweight/obese categories (WMD: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.40-0.78). No significant associations were identified for underweight individuals.
conclusionsOur findings provide quantitative evidence for associations between excess body weight and cumulative dental caries burden in adults. The observed heterogeneity and low evidence certainty, particularly the influence of national income levels, highlight the complexity of this association and underscore the need for cautious interpretation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings support considering oral health in obesity management. Clinicians should recognize that excess body weight may indicate not just a higher risk of having caries, but a greater severity of the disease burden.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.