Associations Between Comorbidities, Medication Use and Dental Outcomes in Clinical Practice in Hail Dental Centre in Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Study.

The study population had a mean age of 51.5 years with a female predominance.

• Mean age was 51.5 years (SD = 16.5)
• 65% of the 383 dental patients were female
• The study was conducted at Hail Dental Centre in Saudi Arabia
• Data included demographic information, medical history, medication profiles, and dental health parameters

Diabetes was the most prevalent medical condition among dental patients in the study sample.

• Prevalence of diabetes was 53.5%
• Hypertension was the second most common condition at 49.6%
• Hypothyroidism was present in 23.0% of patients
• The sample size was 383 dental patients

Polypharmacy occurred in a minority of patients, and commonly used medications included antihypertensives, antidiabetics, and analgesics.

• Polypharmacy, defined as use of 5 or more medications, occurred in 8.4% of patients
• Commonly used medication classes included antihypertensives, antidiabetics, and analgesics
• Medication profiles were part of the retrospective data analysed

The mean number of active dental caries was 1.37 per patient across the study sample.

• Mean number of active dental caries was 1.37 per patient
• Dental health parameters were analysed as part of the retrospective data
• Active caries count was used as a dental health outcome measure

Diabetes was significantly associated with the number of active dental caries in the study population.

• A significant association was observed between diabetes and the number of active caries
• Diabetes prevalence in the sample was 53.5%
• The finding suggests diabetes as a risk factor for caries in this dental patient population
• Associations were explored using descriptive statistics

Hypertension was significantly associated with increased dental pain among the study patients.

• Hypertension was associated with increased dental pain
• Hypertension prevalence in the sample was 49.6%
• Dental pain was assessed as a dental health outcome measure
• The association was identified through analysis of medical conditions and dental health outcomes

The authors concluded that comprehensive medical history assessment is important in dental practice for medically compromised patients.

• Findings highlight the high prevalence of medical conditions and medication use among dental patients
• Understanding these patterns can inform treatment planning, risk assessment, and preventive strategies
• The study was retrospective in design with a sample of 383 patients
• Results emphasise the importance of understanding comorbidities and medication use for safe dental care