Poor dental health and risk of pancreatic cancer: a nationwide registry-based cohort study in Sweden, 2009–2016

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported inconsistent results regarding the association between poor dental health and pancreatic cancer risk. This study aimed to assess this association using a well-functioning nationwide dental health registry in Sweden. METHODS: Information of exposures (dental caries, root canal infection, mild inflammation, and periodontitis; the number of teeth) was ascertained from the Swedish Dental Health Register, and occurrence of pancreatic cancer was identified from both cancer and cause of death registries. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using Cox models. RESULTS: During a median of 7.2 years of follow-up, 10,081 pancreatic cancers were identified among 5,889,441 individuals. Compared with the healthy status, a higher risk of pancreatic cancer was observed in individuals with root canal infection, mild inflammation, and periodontitis in the <50 age group (P for trend <0.001). In the 50–70 age group, only the subgroup with periodontitis had an excess risk (multivariable-adjusted HR = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11–1.29). No positive association with statistical significance was observed in the 70+ age group. Individuals with fewer teeth tended to have a higher risk in all age groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed the association between poor dental health and pancreatic cancer risk, which warrants further studies on underlying mechanisms.