Childhood Obesity and Oral Health: Inflammation and Dental Maturation

Purpose To evaluate levels of inflammatory biomarkers gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of children with obesity, evaluate whether children with obesity have advanced dental development, and evaluate whether children with advanced dental maturation, regardless of obesity, have increased levels of oral inflammatory markers. Methods Patients aged 10-12 years old were recruited from 2021-2023. Height and weight were obtained to calculate weight status on day of appointment, a panoramic radiograph was obtained to determine dental age via the Demirjian method, and GCF was collected and stored for later analysis. Cytokine analysis was completed using a multiplex assay evaluating for pro and anti-inflammatory biomarkers. Statistical analysis was completed using R. Results Children with obesity had significantly higher levels of MMP8 and significantly more bleeding. No other association were made between biomarkers and children with obesity. Accelerated dental develop did not correlate with obesity in this sample. Children with accelerated dental development did not have higher levels of any inflammatory markers in GCF. Conclusion Children with obesity have higher levels of MMP8 and bleeding as compared to children with normal BMI. No biomarkers were found to correlate with timing of dental development. Children with obesity may require advanced understanding and clinical judgement by providers.