A socio-economic perspective on periodontal diseases: a systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this systematic review was to ascertain whether socio-economic conditions increase the risk of periodontal diseases.


METHODS
A MEDLINE search was conducted for the period 1965-April 2004. Only original articles were included; 47 studies remained for the final assessment. The studies were analysed regarding the outcome of the association between socio-economic variables and periodontal disease, depending on the study design (cross-sectional survey or longitudinal case-control) and whether smoking was included or not.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine out of 36 studies with a cross-sectional design were in favour of the association between socio-economic factors and periodontal diseases. In the studies with a longitudinal or case-control design, there were five in favour of the association, and also six against. When smoking was included in the analysis of cross-sectional studies, a significant association between socio-economic variables and periodontal disease was found in 11 studies and no significance in another five studies. The corresponding figures for case-control studies showed four studies being significant, but also four studies showing no significance.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on relevant study designs and including smoking in the analysis, the socio-economic variables associated with periodontal diseases appear to be of less importance than smoking.
Klinge
Björn
B
Perio Department, Institute of Odontology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden. bjorn.klinge@ofa.ki.se
Norlund
Anders
A
D001835:Body Weight; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity; D006801:Humans; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D011203:Poverty; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors