Association of tooth brushing behavior with risks of major chronic health outcomes: a scoping review

Abstract Background Oral hygiene behavior has been increasingly recognized as a potential contributor to chronic disease prevention. This scoping review aimed to synthesize existing evidence on the associations between tooth brushing behavior (as a proxy for oral hygiene) and major chronic health ou...

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Main Authors: Hee-Jung Park, Nam-Hee Kim, Sun-Jung Shin, Hwa-Young Lee, Jin-Young Jeong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-06-01
Series:BMC Oral Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-06332-4
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author Hee-Jung Park
Nam-Hee Kim
Sun-Jung Shin
Hwa-Young Lee
Jin-Young Jeong
author_facet Hee-Jung Park
Nam-Hee Kim
Sun-Jung Shin
Hwa-Young Lee
Jin-Young Jeong
author_sort Hee-Jung Park
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Oral hygiene behavior has been increasingly recognized as a potential contributor to chronic disease prevention. This scoping review aimed to synthesize existing evidence on the associations between tooth brushing behavior (as a proxy for oral hygiene) and major chronic health outcomes, including cardiovascular events (e.g., myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, heart failure), stroke (ischemic, hemorrhagic, and subarachnoid), hypertension (HTN), metabolic syndrome (MetS), and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted using four databases: Ovid-MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. The study selection process followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. Two reviewers independently screened and selected eligible studies and extracted relevant data. A total of 142 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Results Twenty-one studies were included in the final review. Most studies reported that a lower frequency of tooth brushing was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events, stroke, HTN, MetS, and CKD. Additionally, several studies suggested that maintaining good oral hygiene in individuals with HTN or diabetes mellitus (DM) may be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular complications. Conclusion Frequent tooth brushing, as a key component of oral hygiene, may be associated with a reduced risk of several chronic health outcomes, particularly cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. However, the current body of evidence is predominantly based on observational studies. Further longitudinal and interventional research is warranted to clarify the directionality and potential causal pathways linking oral hygiene behavior to systemic health outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-771ebafa58bd49d29df6e025e7bd2d1f2025-08-20T03:45:32ZengBMCBMC Oral Health1472-68312025-06-0125111210.1186/s12903-025-06332-4Association of tooth brushing behavior with risks of major chronic health outcomes: a scoping reviewHee-Jung Park0Nam-Hee Kim1Sun-Jung Shin2Hwa-Young Lee3Jin-Young Jeong4Department of Dental Hygiene, College of Health Science, Kangwon National UniversityDepartment of Dental Hygiene, Yonsei UniversityDepartment of Dental Hygiene, College of Dentistry, Gangneung Wonju National UniversityDepartment of Dental Hygiene, Yonsei UniversityHallym Research Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, Hallym UniversityAbstract Background Oral hygiene behavior has been increasingly recognized as a potential contributor to chronic disease prevention. This scoping review aimed to synthesize existing evidence on the associations between tooth brushing behavior (as a proxy for oral hygiene) and major chronic health outcomes, including cardiovascular events (e.g., myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, heart failure), stroke (ischemic, hemorrhagic, and subarachnoid), hypertension (HTN), metabolic syndrome (MetS), and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted using four databases: Ovid-MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. The study selection process followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. Two reviewers independently screened and selected eligible studies and extracted relevant data. A total of 142 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Results Twenty-one studies were included in the final review. Most studies reported that a lower frequency of tooth brushing was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events, stroke, HTN, MetS, and CKD. Additionally, several studies suggested that maintaining good oral hygiene in individuals with HTN or diabetes mellitus (DM) may be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular complications. Conclusion Frequent tooth brushing, as a key component of oral hygiene, may be associated with a reduced risk of several chronic health outcomes, particularly cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. However, the current body of evidence is predominantly based on observational studies. Further longitudinal and interventional research is warranted to clarify the directionality and potential causal pathways linking oral hygiene behavior to systemic health outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-06332-4Tooth brushingOral hygiene behaviorCardiovascular eventsStrokeHypertensionMetabolic syndrome
spellingShingle Hee-Jung Park
Nam-Hee Kim
Sun-Jung Shin
Hwa-Young Lee
Jin-Young Jeong
Association of tooth brushing behavior with risks of major chronic health outcomes: a scoping review
BMC Oral Health
Tooth brushing
Oral hygiene behavior
Cardiovascular events
Stroke
Hypertension
Metabolic syndrome
title Association of tooth brushing behavior with risks of major chronic health outcomes: a scoping review
title_full Association of tooth brushing behavior with risks of major chronic health outcomes: a scoping review
title_fullStr Association of tooth brushing behavior with risks of major chronic health outcomes: a scoping review
title_full_unstemmed Association of tooth brushing behavior with risks of major chronic health outcomes: a scoping review
title_short Association of tooth brushing behavior with risks of major chronic health outcomes: a scoping review
title_sort association of tooth brushing behavior with risks of major chronic health outcomes a scoping review
topic Tooth brushing
Oral hygiene behavior
Cardiovascular events
Stroke
Hypertension
Metabolic syndrome
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-06332-4
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