Prevalence of Apical Periodontitis and Association with Various Systemic Medical Diseases in Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University Dental Hospital: A Retrospective Study.

Objectives: Apical periodontitis (AP) is a common dental condition that affects the root apex of a tooth and the surrounding tissues. The prevalence of apical periodontitis and its association with various systemic medical diseases were studied at the Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University Dental Hospital in the period from January 2021 to January 2022. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, the age, sex, smoking habits, and systemic medical condition of 850 subjects who were diagnosed with Apical Periodontitis either primary or secondary were recorded and analysed. One-way ANOVA test was used to assess the association between type of AP and number of old root canal treatments, while Chi-Square test/Fisher Exact test were used to assess the prevalence of apical periodontitis with the various systemic diseases. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the predictors for AP. P-value equal to or below 0.05 indicated statistical significance. Results: Among 850 subjects, apical periodontitis was prevalent in 56% with mean age of 30.349+14.01, 56% in males, 84% were smoker, and 59% with systemic diseases. The prevalence of AP is significantly higher in the participants with the mean age of 30 years old (P=0.008) and among smokers’ participants (P=0.035). Primary AP was found significantly higher in the age group (18-25) while the secondary AP was significantly higher in the age group (26-35), with p=0.006, p=0.036 respectively. While participants with the age group (26-35) showed the highest number of (p=0.001) compared with the other age groups. Moreover, the prevalence of apical periodontitis (AP) in association with various systemic diseases ranged from highest to lowest is as follows: diabetes mellitus, hypertension, thyroid disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, blood disorders, lung diseases, heart diseases, GIT diseases, neurological disorders, and others with prevalence of (7.7%, 6.8%, 6%, 4.1%, 4%, 2.7%, 1%, 0.7%, 0.5%, 0.5% respectively). All the systemic diseases did not show significant association with AP except for the blood disorders that shows significance with (p=0.005) and where patients with blood disorders are more prone to develop AP than healthy one (OR=2.812). Conclusion: The study provided insights into the epidemiological prevalence of apical periodontitis and its probable association with age, gender, smoking habits, and various systemic medical diseases. Blood disorders showed significant association with the prevalence of AP. The findings of this study can aid in developing effective preventive and treatment strategies for apical periodontitis and its associated systemic diseases to alleviate the preventive initiatives and decrease the burden of diseases in populations.