Association Between Periodontal Disease and Blood Biomarkers in U.S. Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

(1) Background: Periodontal disease (PD) is a chronic inflammatory condition with potential systemic manifestations. This study examined the association between PD and selected blood biomarkers—white blood cell (WBC) count, serum albumin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)—using nationally representative data from the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). (2) Methods: Cross sectional data from the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. Periodontitis was defined per CDC/AAP. Three weighted multivariable logistic regression models determined the association between blood benzene levels and periodontal severity, adjusting for potential confounders. Among 4669 participants, 37.2% had PD (3) Results: In multivariable-adjusted models, individuals with higher white blood cell counts (OR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.04–1.11; p < 0.001) and higher MCHC values (OR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.06–1.22; p < 0.001) exhibited greater odds of periodontal disease, whereas lower serum albumin levels were independently associated with PD (OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.62–0.93; p = 0.011), after adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral covariates. (4) Conclusions: These findings suggest a statistical association between PD and systemic hematologic alterations in U.S. adults. However, due to the cross-sectional nature of this study, causal relationships cannot be inferred, and further longitudinal studies are needed to understand the mechanisms between PD and blood biomarkers.