CDC: HALF OF AMERICAN ADULTS HAVE PERIODONTALDISEASEDatafromtheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionshowhighprevalenceofperiodontaldiseaseintheU.S.populationAmericanAcademyofPeriodontologyencouragesyearlycomprehensiveperiodontalevaluationstoassessfordisease.

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CHICAGOSeptember4,2012OneoutofeverytwoAmericanadultsaged30andoverhasperiodontaldisease,accordingtorecentfindingsfromtheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC).AstudytitledPrevalenceofPeriodontitisinAdultsintheUnitedStates:2009and2010(http://jdr.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/08/29/0022034512457373.abstract)estimatesthat47.2percent,or64.7millionAmericanadults,havemild,moderateorsevereperiodontitis,themoreadvancedformofperiodontaldisease.Inadults65andolder,prevalenceratesincreaseto70.1percent.ThisstudyispublishedintheJournalofDentalResearch,theofficialpublicationoftheInternationalandAmericanAssociationsforDentalResearch.

Periodontaldiseaseisachronicinflammatorydiseasethataffectsthegumtissueandbonesupportingtheteeth,accordingtotheAmericanAcademyofPeriodontology(AAP).Ifleftuntreated,periodontaldiseasecanleadtotoothloss.Researchhasalsoshownthatperiodontaldiseaseisassociatedwithotherchronicinflammatorydiseases,suchasdiabetesandcardiovasculardisease.TheAAPhasworkedcloselywithCDCsince2003onperiodontaldiseasesurveillance.

ThefindingsarebasedondatacollectedaspartofCDCs20092010NationalHealthandNutritionExaminationSurvey(NHANES),designedtoassessthehealthandnutritionalstatusofadultsandchildrenintheUnitedStates.The20092010NHANESincludedforthefirsttimeafullmouthperiodontalexaminationtoassessformild,moderate,orsevereperiodontitis,makingitthemostcomprehensivesurveyofperiodontalhealtheverconductedintheU.S.Researchersmeasuredperiodontitisbecauseitisthemostdestructiveformofperiodontaldisease.Gingivitis,theearlieststageofperiodontaldisease,wasnotassessed.

PreviousNHANESreliedonpartialmouthperiodontalexaminationsandmayhavemisseddiseaseinteeththatwerenotexamined.Sinceperiodontaldiseaseisnotevenlydistributedinthemouth,estimatesbasedonpartialmouthexaminationsmayhaveunderestimatedactualprevalenceratesintheU.S.populationbyasmuchas50percent.

ThisisthemostaccuratepictureofperiodontaldiseaseintheU.S.adultpopulationwehaveeverhad,saidPamelaMcClain,DDS,PresidentoftheAmericanAcademyofPeriodontologyandapracticingperiodontistinAurora,Colorado.Forthefirsttime,wenowhaveaprecisemeasureoftheprevalenceofperiodontaldisease,andcanbetterunderstandthetrueseverityandextentofperiodontaldiseaseinourcountry.TheAAPvaluesitscollaborationwithCDCtobetterunderstandtheburdenofperiodontaldiseaseinAmericans.

ThefindingsalsoindicatedisparitiesamongcertainsegmentsoftheU.S.population.Periodontaldiseaseishigherinmenthanwomen(56.4percentvs.38.4percent)andishighestinMexicanAmericans(66.7percent)comparedtootherraces.Othersegmentswithhighprevalenceratesincludecurrentsmokers(64.2percent)thoselivingbelowthefederalpovertylevel(65.4percent)andthosewithlessthanahighschooleducation(66.9percent).

AccordingtoPaulEke,MPH,PhD,leadauthorandCDCepidemiologist,thefindingsmaydrivepublichealthpolicy.WehavedemonstratedahighburdenofperiodontaldiseaseintheadultU.S.population,especiallyamongadults65andolder.Periodontaldiseaseisassociatedwithage,andasAmericanslivelongerandretainmoreoftheirnaturalteeth,periodontaldiseasemaytakeonmoreprominenceintheoralhealthoftheU.Sadultpopulation.Maintaininggoodperiodontalhealthisimportanttotheoverallhealthandwellbeingofouragingpopulation.Ourfindingssupportaneedforpublichealthprogramstoimprovetheoralhealthofadults.

CoauthorRobertGenco,DDS,PhD,DistinguishedProfessoratTheStateUniversityofNewYorkatBuffaloandPastPresidentoftheAmericanAssociationforDentalResearch(AADR)andtheInternationalAssociationforDentalResearch(IADR),believesthesefindingselevateperiodontaldiseaseasapublichealthconcern.Wenowknowthatperiodontaldiseaseisoneofthemostprevalentnoncommunicablechronicdiseasesinourpopulation,similartocardiovasculardiseaseanddiabetes.

Dr.McClainnotedthatthesefindingssupporttheneedforcomprehensiveperiodontalevaluationsannually.Toreallyknowifyouhaveperiodontaldisease,adentalprofessionalmustexamineeachtoothaboveandbelowthegumline.Avisualexaminationalone,evenbythemostqualifieddentist,isnotenough.Thesefindingssuggestthatmanymorepeoplehaveperiodontaldiseasethanpreviouslythought,soitismoreimportantthanevertoreceiveacomprehensiveperiodontalevaluationfromyourdentalprofessionaleveryyear.

SurveillanceofperiodontaldiseaseinU.S.adultswillcontinuethroughthe2014NHANEStoincludemoreracialandethnicsegmentsofthepopulation.BothCDCandAAPsupportadditionaleffortstocontinuetounderstandperiodontaldiseaseprevalencetrends.Thisdatawillguidepublichealthpolicydecisionsincludingappropriatepreventionandtreatmentrecommendations.

WHAT IS A COMPREHENSIVE PERIODONTAL EVALUATION?TheAmericanAcademyofPeriodontologyrecommendsthateverypatientreceiveacomprehensiveperiodontalevaluation,orCPE,onanannualbasis.TheCPEwillgaugeyourperiodontalhealth,diagnoseexistingdisease,assessriskfordisease,anddetermineanytreatment,ifneeded.TheCPEcanbeperformedatyourregularcheckupbyamemberofthedentalteam,includingageneraldentist,dentalhygienistorperiodontist.

STUDY INFORMATION

P.I.Eke,B.A.Dye,L.Wei,G.O.ThorntonEvans,andR.J.Genco.PrevalenceofPeriodontitisinAdultsintheUnitedStates:2009and2010.JDENTRES0022034512457373,firstpublishedonAugust30,2012asdoi:10.1177/0022034512457373

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