Periodontitis is associated with decreased experimental pressure pain tolerance: The Troms? Study 2015-2016

AimTo assess the relationship between periodontitis and experimental pain tolerance.Materials and MethodsParticipants from the population-based seventh survey of the Tromso Study with data on periodontitis were included (n = 3666, 40-84 years old, 51.6% women). Pain tolerance was assessed through (i) pressure pain tolerance (PPT) test with a computerized cuff pressure algometry on the leg, and (ii) cold-pressor tolerance (CPT) test where one hand was placed in circulating 3 degrees C water. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to assess the association between periodontitis and pain tolerance adjusted for age, sex, education, smoking and obesity.ResultsIn the fully adjusted model using the 2012 Centers for Disease Control/American Academy of Periodntology case definitions for surveillance of periodontitis, moderate (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01, 1.18) and severe (HR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.42) periodontitis were associated with decreased PPT. Using the 2018 classification of periodontitis, having Stage II/III/IV periodontitis was significantly associated with decreased PPT (HR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.18) compared with having no or stage I periodontitis. There were no significant associations between periodontitis and CPT in fully adjusted models.ConclusionsModerate and severe periodontitis was associated with experimental PPT.