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BMC Oral Health
Published in: BMC Oral Health 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Research article

A dental myth bites the dust – no observable relation between the incidence of dental abscess and the weather and lunar phase: an ecological study

Authors: Oliver Ristow, Steffen Koerdt, Ruben Stelzner, Matthias Stelzner, Christoph Johannes, Melanie Ristow, Bettina Hohlweg-Majert, Christoph Pautke

Published in: BMC Oral Health | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Background

Anecdotal reports assert a relationship between weather and lunar activity and the odontogenic abscess (OA) incidence, but this relationship has not been validated. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between oral pain caused by OA and a variety of meteorological parameters and cyclic lunar activity.

Methods

The records of all dental emergency patients treated at the AllDent Zahnzentrum Emergency Unit in Munich, Germany during 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with oral pain who were diagnosed with OA and treated surgically (n = 1211) were included in the analysis. The OA incidence was correlated to daily meteorological data, biosynoptic weather analysis, and cyclic lunar activity.

Results

There was no seasonal variation in the OA incidence. None of the meteorological parameters, lunar phase, or biosynoptic weather class were significantly correlated with the OA incidence, except the mean barometric pressure, which was weakly correlated (rho = -0.204). The OA incidence showed a decreasing trend as barometric pressure increased (p < 0.001). On multiple linear regression, the barometric pressure accounted for approximately 4% of the OA incidence.

Conclusion

There is no evidence supporting a correlation between the incidence of odontogenic abscess and the weather and lunar activities.
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Metadata
Title
A dental myth bites the dust – no observable relation between the incidence of dental abscess and the weather and lunar phase: an ecological study
Authors
Oliver Ristow
Steffen Koerdt
Ruben Stelzner
Matthias Stelzner
Christoph Johannes
Melanie Ristow
Bettina Hohlweg-Majert
Christoph Pautke
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Oral Health / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6831
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-015-0001-2

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