Prevalence and risk indicators for chronic periodontitis in adolescents and young adults in south Brazil.

AIM: To describe the distribution of clinical attachment loss (CAL) and to study risk indicators for chronic periodontitis in a large population-based sample of adolescents and young adults from south Brazil.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used a subset of data from a larger survey representative of Porto Alegre, Brazil. The sample consisted of 612 individuals (291 males/321 females) aged 14-29 years. Full-mouth, six sites per tooth clinical examinations were performed by calibrated periodontists. Chronic periodontitis was defined as CAL 3mm affecting two or more teeth. Aggressive periodontitis cases were excluded from the analysis.

RESULTS

CAL 3 and 5mm affected 50.4% and 17.4% of subjects and 9.7% and 1.1% of teeth, respectively. Prevalence of chronic periodontitis ranged between 18.2% and 72.0% among subjects 14-19 and 24-29 years old, respectively. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, older age [odds ratio (OR)=2.6, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.7-3.9 and OR=7.2, 95% CI=3.7-14.0 for 20-24 and 25-29 years old, respectively], low socioeconomic status (OR=1.9, 95% CI=1.4-2.7), heavy smoking (OR=1.7, 95% CI=1.1-2.7) and larger amounts of calculus (OR=2.0, 95% CI=1.2-3.2) were significantly associated with chronic periodontitis.

CONCLUSION

This population of adolescents and young adults had a high prevalence of chronic periodontitis, and its presence was associated with age, socioeconomic status, smoking and calculus.