- The clinical study that began in 1980 involved 755 young Finns aged 6, 9 and 12 years old.
- In 2007, after 27 years, a follow-up was done, and cardiovascular risk factors were measured at several time points.
- The researchers found that the more signs of oral infections in childhood, the higher the risk for atherosclerosis in adulthood.
A recent study conducted at the University of Helsinki in collaboration with The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study suggests that children who develop common oral problems such as caries and gum disease are more likely develop risk factors for heart diseases later in life.
What are the findings of the research?
In a press release, the researchers said that from all the participants, 68%, 87%, and 82% had bleeding, caries, and fillings, respectively. There were no differences between the boys and the girls. Fifty-four percent of the children presented with slight periodontal pocketing and it was more frequent in the boys than in the girls. Five percent of the examined mouths were totally healthy, whereas 61% and 34% of the children had one to three signs and four signs of oral infections, respectively.
