Association between Perfluoroalkyl Substances and the Prevalence of Dental Caries Amongst US Children Aged 12 to 19 years. (NHANES 1999-2012)

Puttige Ramesh, Nithya

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Year:: 2017
Contributor:: Puttige Ramesh, Nithya (creator); Braun, Joseph (Advisor); Arora, Manish (Reader); Brown University. School of Public Health (sponsor)
Genre:: theses
Subject:: Environmental health; perfluoroalkyl substances; Dental care; Dental caries--Prevention
Extent:: 6, 35 p.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7301/Z0ZC81BG

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Abstract:: Background/Context: Poor oral health can lead to emotional, functional, social, and psychological disturbances, especially in children. Tooth decay is a microbial disease modified by host factors, including environmental exposures. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), due to their association with reduced bone mineral density and actions as endocrine disrupting chemicals, could be associated with increased susceptibility to dental caries. Study Objectives: To identify the presence of any relationship between PFAS exposure and the prevalence of dental caries amongst a nationally representative sample of US adolescents. Methods/Design: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999-2012 for 12-19-year-old US children. Dental caries prevalence was defined as the presence of decay or a restoration on any tooth surface, or the loss of a tooth following tooth decay. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate the association between serum PFAS concentrations and dental caries prevalence. Results: Of 2,869 adolescents, 59% had one or more dental caries. We observed no associations between the prevalence of dental caries and serum concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), or perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS). However, we observed a trend suggesting a decrease in the prevalence of caries with increasing serum perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) concentrations. The odds of caries were 21% (OR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.63, 1.01), 15% (OR:0.85; 95% CI: 0.67, 1.08), and 30% (OR:0.7; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.90) lower among children in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartiles of serum PFNA concentrations compared to children in the first quartile, respectively. Conclusion: PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS were not associated with the prevalence of dental caries. While PFNA concentrations were associated with decreased caries prevalence, the inverse association could be confounded and additional adjustment for factors associated with higher PFAS and lower caries prevalence may attenuate it further.
Notes:: Thesis (M. P. H.)--Brown University, 2017

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Puttige Ramesh, Nithya, "Association between Perfluoroalkyl Substances and the Prevalence of Dental Caries Amongst US Children Aged 12 to 19 years. (NHANES 1999-2012)" (2017). Public Health Theses and Dissertations. Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library. https://doi.org/10.7301/Z0ZC81BG

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Theses and Dissertations for the Public Health department.
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