Abstract
Numerous epidemiological studies have demonstrated that dental disease is related to systemic disease. In the present study, medical expenses and total number of days of treatment were evaluated in order to investigate the relationship between systemic and dental diseases in the workplace. A total of 282 employees aged between 20 and 39 years working for a publishing company in Okayama City participated in this study. Their dental and medical care insurance records for a 12-month period were obtained. Eighty-three percent of the subjects consulted medical doctors and 43% consulted dentists during the examined period. Eighty-nine percent of the dental patients were diagnosed as having periodontal disease. Individuals who underwent at least one dental examination spent more money and days (p<0.01) visiting medical institutions than those who received no dental care. In conclusion, these results show that individuals who consulted dentists tended to receive more frequent medical treatment.
