Association between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and periodontitis: Results from a large population‐based study

Abstract Aim To explore the association between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (measured using urinary metabolites) and periodontitis using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2014. Materials and Methods Weighted binary logistic regression, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression were used to evaluate independent and joint associations between the six urinary monohydroxylated metabolites of PAHs (OH‐PAHs) and periodontitis. Results In all, 3413 participants were included in this study. All six urinary OH‐PAHs were present at higher levels in the periodontitis group compared with the non‐periodontitis group ( p < .001). Fully adjusted multivariable logistic regressions showed positive associations between the six urinary OH‐PAHs and periodontitis ( p < .05). Higher concentrations of OH‐PAHs were also positively associated with attachment loss, periodontal pocket depth (PPD) and the number of tooth loss. BKMR and WQS regression yielded similar positive associations between OH‐PAH mixtures and periodontitis. Conclusions PAHs and their mixture are positively associated with periodontitis, which may provide novel insights into periodontitis prevention from an environmental exposure perspective.