title: Changes in prevalence of periodontitis in two German population-based studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to assess changes of periodontal status in Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Studies of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) are two cross-sectional population-based studies conducted during 1997-2001 (SHIP-0, 20-81 years, n = 3736) and 2008-2012 (SHIP-Trend, 20-84 years, n = 3622) in northeast Germany. The German Oral Health Studies (DMS, 35-44 and 65-74 years) are national cross-sectional population-based surveys conducted in 1997 (DMS III, n = 1454) and 2005 (DMS IV, n = 1668), whose results were separately reported for West and East Germany. Prevalences, percentages and numbers of teeth affected were defined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In SHIP, prevalence of attachment loss (AL) ≥ 3 mm decreased from 89.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 88.6-90.8) to 85.1% (95%CI: 83.9-86.3) (p < 0.05) and the mean extent reduced from 62.8% (95%CI: 61.7-63.8) to 55.9% (95%CI: 54.9-56.9) (p < 0.05). Probing depth (PD) ≥ 4 mm and the respective extent remained unchanged. In West Germany, AL ≥ 3 mm decreased for 35-44-year-olds and increased for 65-74-year-olds (p < 0.05). In SHIP and DMS, the number of teeth in dentates increased significantly in all age groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalences and extents of AL improved almost in all age categories in SHIP and West German adults, whereas PDs remained unchanged. Nonetheless, the improvement of periodontal conditions implies an increase of treatment needs regarding moderately diseased teeth because of simultaneous increases of the number of present teeth.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Periodontology, Department of Restorative Dentistry, Periodontology, and Endodontology, University Medicine, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Svenja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schützhold
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kocher
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biffar
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Carsten O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Micheelis
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Birte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Holtfreter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000453:epidemiology; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000453:epidemiology; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000453:epidemiology; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: attachment loss; change; epidemiology; periodontitis; prevalence; probing depth