Participants should be aware of the following financial/non-financial relationships: . Giang T. Vu, DDS, MS, PhD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.. Bert B. Little, M.A., Ph.D.: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.. Michael Goldsby, PhD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.. Md Yasin Ali Parh, MS: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.. Seyed Karimi, PhD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.. Pin Chuang Lai, DDS, PhD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.. Guo-Liang Cheng, DDS, MSD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Abstract: Objectives: The objective of this study was to analyze the association between dental prophylaxis (DP) use and myocardial infarction (MI) risk among adult Kentucky Medicaid beneficiaries with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Kentucky Medicaid 2014-2018 claims data were used in this study. The longitudinal component included 943,657 beneficiaries aged ≥ 21 years. The incidence rates (IRs) of MI during four-year follow-up periods by DP were analyzed. Cox regression was used to analyze the effects of DP on the incidence of MI among beneficiaries with and without T2DM. Results: The IRs of MI among beneficiaries with and without DP were 0.31%/year (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.30 – 0.32) and 0.89 (95% CI, 0.88 – 0.90) %/year, respectively. Cox regression analysis showed that beneficiaries who used DP had lower risk of MI than those who did not use DP (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.50; 95% CI, 0.48 – 0.51; p < 0.001), controlling for age, sex, race, urban/rural residence, tooth extraction, T2DM, and other co-morbidities (e.g., kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, dyslipidemia, peripheral vascular disease). Adjusting for other covariates, beneficiaries with T2DM were more likely to have an MI than non-T2DM individuals (adjusted HR = 1.18; 95% CI, 1.15 – 1.21; p < 0.001). Conclusions: DP was associated with decreased risk of MI among Kentucky Medicaid beneficiaries with and without T2DM. US health policy officials should adopt benefits policies to provide regular dental check-ups and DP for Medicaid beneficiaries with T2DM to reduce the risk of MI.
Source of Funding: This study has received financial support from the State University Partnerships between Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and University of Louisville. The authors declare no conflicts of interests.
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