Severe periodontal disease causes tooth loss and affects a certain group of people that appears to exhibit increased susceptibility to periodontal destruction, according to a study that appeared in the November 2005 Journal of Periodontology. Researchers found that tooth loss due to periodontal disease is associated with the risk indicators of age, male gender, smoking, lack of professional maintenance, inadequate oral hygiene, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, and anterior tooth type. The study evaluated 1,775 patients who had 3,694 teeth extracted. More teeth per patient were lost due to periodontal disease than for any other reason (those with periodontal disease lost 2.8 teeth; those without periodontal disease lost 1.8 teeth). Periodontal disease accounted for the majority of tooth extractions in patients older than 35 years (57% of teeth were lost for periodontal reasons compared to 43% lost for other reasons). Other findings are as follows: (1) the most common medical history finding in all patients was diabetes mellitus at 19.2% followed by hypertension at 13.6%; (2) a greater proportion of men lost their teeth due to periodontal reasons than women (33% for men versus 27% for women); (3) current and past smokers accounted for almost 31%; (4) 39% reported that they have never had a dental prophylaxis or periodontal maintenance visit; (5) self-reported tooth brushing frequency of the patients was low, with only 16% brushing their teeth twice or more daily; and (6) almost 60% either never brushed their teeth or used a toothbrush irregularly.
“Risk assessment is an important component of modern dental therapy,” said Kenneth A. Krebs, DMD, president of the American Academy of Periodontology. “Identification of subjects with the greatest risk for periodontal disease severity and progression is essential for the proper allocation of preventive therapeutic measures to those individuals who would benefit most from such measures.”
(Source: American Academy of Periodontology, November 2005)
