The Association between Hearing Loss and Periodontitis: Insights from the NHANES Database

Abstract

Background Despite the prevalence of periodontitis and hearing impairment, research exploring their association is limited. This study aims to examine the potential relationship between periodontitis and hearing loss, using data from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009–2012. Methods Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2009–2012 were analyzed, focusing on participants who underwent both periodontal examinations and audiometric testing. The study included 1,642 participants after excluding those with incomplete data. Periodontitis was dichotomized as a binary variable of presence or absence. HL was both a categorical variable after grouping and an ungrouped continuous variable. Data were analyzed by multifactor logistic regression and subgroup analysis using EmpowerStats 3.0 software, and restricted cubic curves were plotted using R 4.3.2. Results The results showed that the prevalence of periodontitis was 60.97% and the hearing impaired population comprised 12.48% of the study population. There was a significant correlation between the severity of hearing loss and the presence of moderate to severe periodontitis. Participants with hearing loss greater than 40 dB showed a markedly higher likelihood of having periodontitis compared to those with normal hearing, even after adjusting for potential confounders such as age, smoking, diabetes, and socioeconomic status. Conclusions The findings suggest a notable association between hearing impairment and the risk of periodontitis. The study highlights the importance of considering oral health in patients with hearing loss and suggests further investigation into the shared inflammatory pathways that may contribute to both conditions.