Periodontal Disease, Tooth Loss, and Systemic Conditions: An Exploratory Study.

in International dental journal by Georgios S Chatzopoulos, Ziou Jiang, Nicholas Marka, Larry F Wolff

TLDR

  • The study looked at how different medical conditions are linked to tooth loss and gum disease. They found that certain conditions, like high blood pressure and diabetes, are more likely to cause tooth loss and gum disease. They also found that some conditions, like anaemia and lymphoma, are not commonly linked to tooth loss and gum disease but are still associated with it. This study can help doctors and researchers understand how different medical conditions affect our teeth and gums, and how we can prevent or manage these conditions to keep our teeth healthy.

Abstract

Although systemic medical conditions are associated with periodontitis and tooth loss, large-scale studies that include less prevalent systemic conditions are needed. The purpose of the study was to investigate the link between periodontal disease and tooth loss with systemic medical conditions in a large and diverse population. Dental charts of adult patients who had attended the dental clinics seeking dental therapy of the universities contributing data to the BigMouth network and accepted the protocol of the study were included. Dental Procedure Codes and Current Procedural Terminology procedures were utilised to identify patients with and without periodontitis. Data were extracted from patients' electronic health records including demographic characteristics, dental procedural codes, and self-reported medical conditions as well as the number of missing teeth. A total of 108,307 records were ultimately included in the analysis; 42,377 of them included a diagnosis of periodontitis. The median age of the included population was 47.0 years, and 55.2% were female. Older and male individuals were significantly more likely to be in the periodontitis group and have higher number of missing teeth. A number of systemic conditions are associated with periodontitis and a higher number of missing teeth. High blood pressure, smoking, drug use, and diabetes were all found to be significant. Other significant conditions were anaemia, lymphoma, glaucoma, dialysis, bronchitis, sinusitis hepatitis, and asthma. Within the limitations of this retrospective study that utilised the BigMouth dental data repository, the association of a number of systemic conditions such as smoking, diabetes, and hypertension with periodontitis and tooth loss has been confirmed. Additional connections have been highlighted for conditions that are not commonly reported in the literature.

Overview

  • The study investigates the link between periodontal disease and tooth loss with systemic medical conditions in a large and diverse population using dental charts and electronic health records of adult patients who attended dental clinics seeking dental therapy of the universities contributing data to the BigMouth network and accepted the protocol of the study. The study aims to confirm the association of a number of systemic conditions such as smoking, diabetes, and hypertension with periodontitis and tooth loss and highlight additional connections for conditions that are not commonly reported in the literature.

Comparative Analysis & Findings

  • The study found that older and male individuals were significantly more likely to be in the periodontitis group and have higher number of missing teeth. High blood pressure, smoking, drug use, and diabetes were all found to be significant. Other significant conditions were anaemia, lymphoma, glaucoma, dialysis, bronchitis, sinusitis hepatitis, and asthma.

Implications and Future Directions

  • The study's findings confirm the association of a number of systemic conditions with periodontitis and tooth loss and highlight additional connections for conditions that are not commonly reported in the literature. Future research should focus on identifying the causal relationship between systemic conditions and periodontal disease and tooth loss, and developing targeted interventions to prevent or manage these conditions.
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