Obesity and metabolic syndrome are known to negatively affect oral health, but the underlying mechanisms and early indicators remain unclear. To help bridge this knowledge gap, Dr. Curtis and Dr. Kanner from our division collaborated with scientists from the School of Dentistry led by Dr. Sukirth Ganesan. Together they conducted a study involving children and adolescents with healthy teeth and gums. Participants were grouped into three categories: normal-weight healthy, healthy obese, and obese with metabolic syndrome.
Saliva samples were collected from each participant and analyzed their bacterial, metabolic, and hormonal content. All three components showed distinct differences between the obese and normal-weight healthy groups. Notably, by integrating data from all three saliva components, researchers were able to identify individuals with metabolic syndrome.
These findings suggest the potential for developing non-invasive saliva-based tests to assess metabolic health—potentially even eliminating the need for some blood draws. Additionally, the results offer new insights into how obesity and metabolic syndrome may contribute to oral health issues. The study was published in the Journal of Dental Research, and the abstract is available on PubMed at this link.