Abstract
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are over 2 billion people around the world who are either overweight or obese, growing in numbers and also in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is a major public health issue. With the rising amounts of funds and dental expenditure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a financial and economic burden on 16.5% of Saudis who happen to spend over 10% of their income on costly procedures of those uninsured such as endodontic root canals or root filled teeth (RFT), which could be associated with the rise of obesity and periapical chronic lesions affecting hard and soft tissues surrounding teeth resulting in bone loss, microorganisms, and toxins released into the pulp visualized by radiographic images. This cross-sectional observational study conducted at a dental school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia studies the correlation between obesity and RFTs and PLs alongside with other demographics such as gender, age, educational level, and waist circumference. Data was collected from 317 patients visiting the endodontics department clinics and was quantitatively and statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS 24 software package. The study concluded a strong and positive correlation between obesity, waist circumference, age, and male gender with root filled teeth and periapical lesions, and an insignificant correlation with educational levels. The researchers recommended public health policy makers to tax sugary foods, pop drinks, and increased healthcare insurance policy rates on obese individuals.