Prevalence of Periodontitis and Annual Alveolar Bone Loss in a Patient Population at Harvard School of Dental Medicine: a Longitudinal Data Analysis

Abstract

Periodontal diseases are inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity that can be confined only to the gingiva as in gingivitis or exceed beyond that to result in soft and hard tissue loss which would affect the attachment of the teeth to the alveolar bone as in periodontitis. An inflammatory process that has been discussed for decades of its nature, risk factors, and whether it has specific or non-specific etiological factors including the underlying microbiology. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research refer to periodontal diseases as the most common cause of tooth loss in adults. Studies have also suggested that periodontal disease is the most common reason for tooth loss. Mandibular incisors are most frequently lost due to periodontal diseases followed by maxillary incisors and molars. The objectives of this study were: • Determine the prevalence of periodontitis using bitewings radiographs among the patients enrolled in the clinics at HSDM and addressing risk factors associated with the disease (i.e. sex, age, BMI, etc.). • Predict annual alveolar bone loss in a subpopulation of patients with CVD adjusting for associated systemic diseases and risk factors. • Predict annual alveolar bone loss in a subpopulation of elderly patients who were taking oral bisphosphonate adjusting for systemic diseases and associated risk factors. Alveolar bone loss was measured on the mesial and distal sites of first and second mandibular and maxillary premolars and molars using the calibrated measuring tool of Emago® (Oral Diagnostic Systems, Amsterdam, Netherlands) software– the radiographic imaging software at Harvard School Dental Medicine.