title: Clinical parameters associated with periodontitis in untreated persons.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between clinical parameters and periodontitis in a population receiving no regular prophylactic dental care. From a sample of 164 adult rural and urban Tanzanian subjects aged between 30 and 44 years, 16% were identified with periodontitis according to the criteria that at least three teeth had a probing depth > or = 6 mm. Subjects with periodontitis in this sample exhibited a much higher bleeding tendency (at sites where periodontal pockets and did not exist) than subjects without periodontitis, but dental plaque scores were comparable. Sensitivity and specificity values and odds ratios indicated a strong association between bleeding on probing and the presence of periodontitis. This may indicate that people from a population deprived of regular dental care with a high tendency of bleeding on probing are more prone to develop periodontitis. Whether bleeding on probing could serve as a marker in this population to identify subjects who develop future periodontal destruction has to be explored through further longitudinal studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Lembariti
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van't Hof
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pilot
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: van Palenstein-Helderman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008489:Medical Indigency; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013636:Tanzania; D014504:Urban Health
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers