title: Prevalence of periodontal disease by recorded indices among low income discount dental school patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of periodontal disease among the patient population at the University of Pittsburgh who receive the Low Income Discount (LID) financial obligation reduction based on family income in relation to federal poverty guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study examining the Electronic Health Record at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine (axiUm, Exan Group) from August 2008 to April 2013 (N = 7936). Records of the complete periodontal examination, income, age, gender, race, and other variables were collected and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Logistic regressions were performed, controlling for patients' age, ethnicity, smoking status, BMI, and diabetes. The odds of having periodontal disease for patients receiving the low income discount (LID) was higher (1.055), but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.35).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients receiving the low income discount did not have a higher prevalence of periodontal disease. Factors other than income appear to be more important to predict greater prevalence of periodontal disease, but this insight requires further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Professor and Chair, Director of Postgraduate Education and the Residency, Department of Periodontics and Preventive Dentistry, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Pouran
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Famili
authors.affiliation: Student (Class of 2015), University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Mandana M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Shaya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data