Prevalence of periodontal disease in young diabetics

In the present study, the frequency of sites exhibiting gingival inflammation and periodontal tissue breakdown was assessed in one group of 46 individuals (19-25 years old; test group T) who had suffered from diabetes mellitus (Type 1) for 10 years or more, and in another group of 41 non-diabetic controls (18-26 years old; control group C). Each individual was examined regarding oral hygiene status, gingival conditions, probing depths, probing attachment levels and gingival recessions. The interproximal marginal bone level was assessed in bitewing radiographs. No significant differences were found between the 2 groups regarding their oral hygiene status, frequency of sites with probing depths of greater than 3 mm and the position of the interproximal alveolar bone margin. The mean distance between the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and the interproximal bone crest was in group T, 0.91 +/- 0.14 (SD) mm and in group C, 0.95 +/- 0.18 (SD) mm. About 80% of the individuals in both groups were free from signs of marginal bone loss and only 1 subject in each group had greater than 6 sites with definitive bone loss. The group of diabetic patients had higher frequencies of inflamed buccal/lingual gingival units, gingival recessions and sites with attachment loss of greater than or equal to 2 mm. Most of the sites (85%) with attachment loss were located at the buccal and lingual surfaces. There were no significant correlations between the periodontal variables and the duration of diabetes, insulin dosage and HbA1 level. Individuals with both retinopathy and nephropathy had significantly more gingival inflammation than diabetic individuals without complications.     

Prevalence and severity of periodontal disease in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Previous reports have demonstrated that oral mucosa and periodontal lesions occur in patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC]). It is unknown whether periodontal disease is an occasional or regular finding in these patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of periodontal disease in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The periodontal status of 107 consecutive patients seeking treatment for inflammatory bowel disease was assessed. Examination of the mid- and mesiobuccal aspects of one quadrant on one jaw and the contralateral quadrant of the opposite jaw revealed the 93.5% of the CD patients and 95.1% of UC patients had at least one site with probing attachment loss of 2 mm or greater, and a mean probing attachment loss 1.4 +/- 0.9 mm and 1.5 +/- 1.0 mm, respectively. We found that 28.3% of CD patients and 29.5% of UC patients possessed at least 1 site with a pocket probing depth of 4 mm or greater; the mean pocket probing depth in these patients was 2.4 +/- 0.2 mm and 2.3 +/- 0.2 mm, respectively. Compared with the assessment of Oral Health of United States Adults, IBD patients revealed a 11.9% higher prevalence (P less than or equal to 0.01) but 0.6 mm lower severity (P less than or equal to 0.01) of periodontal disease. The magnitudes of these differences suggest no clinical implications for the management of periodontal disease in IBD subjects.     

Prevalence of interproximal periodontal intrabony defects in an adult population in Sweden

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and localization of interproximal periodontal intrabony defects (IPIDs) in the total adult population of a Swedish county. On each interproximal tooth surface (third molars excluded) in 733 randomly selected dentate individuals aged 20 years and over, one examiner recorded from x5-magnified periapical radiographs, the presence or absence of IPID with a width and depth of at least 5 and 10 mm, respectively, representing 1 and 2 mm unmagnified. Intra-examiner reproducibility determined from double recordings was substantial (kappa = 0.66). Recordings of IPID were compared with those performed by 24 specialist periodontists using their own diagnostic criteria. IPIDs were recorded in 32% of the 733 examined individuals; the number of defects per individual ranged from 1 to 15. The prevalence of IPID increased with increasing age and IPID occurred more frequently in men than in women. IPID was observed more frequently on mesial than on distal tooth surfaces, whereas there was no difference between maxillary and mandibular tooth surfaces. Symmetrical localizations of IPID in relation to the sagittal plane were observed.