Exploratory study on the association between oral functions and nailfold capillary parameters

Abstract

Abstract Extending life expectancy is a major public health priority. Oral frailty is closely associated with systemic health. However, the association between oral functions and systemic health, particularly nailfold capillary parameters, remains unclear. We analyzed data from 311 participants (mean age: 55.66 ± 12.54 years) to examine the associations between oral function parameters (number of remaining teeth, tongue pressure, and oral mucosal moisture) and nailfold capillary parameters (number, length, width, and turbidity). The results showed that the number of remaining teeth was significantly associated with capillary number. Additionally, oral mucosal moisture was significantly associated with capillary turbidity and width; notably, these two capillary parameters were moderately correlated with each other. These associations did not remain statistically significant after adjusting the P -values using the Holm–Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, and should therefore be interpreted as preliminary, hypothesis-generating findings. Overall, these findings may contribute to the growing body of evidence linking oral and systemic health and provide preliminary insights for future research on potential diagnostic applications. Examining oral functions and dental findings in the context of interconnected disease pathways, rather than individual diseases may improve our understanding of the relationship between oral and systemic health.