Increased risk of dental caries after obesity surgeries

The aim of the thesis was to study the oral health of individuals before and after treatment for severe obesity. The participants had a BMI of 35 or more in combination with other medical conditions, such as diabetes—treatment involved either surgery or medical treatment.

Medical treatment includes lifestyle advice, dietary treatment, possible drug treatment, and support with increased physical activity. However, surgery has proven more effective for weight loss, and with a growing obesity epidemic in many parts of the world, more and more people are having surgery.

Negin Taghat, the author and a dentist for the Swedish Public Dental Service, said, “Around 5,000 cases of obesity surgery are performed each year in Sweden alone, and the trend is increasing. We were therefore interested in seeing whether there is any change in the oral health of these patients after surgery.”