New Statistics Show High Adult
Prevalence of Periodontitis
new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that
nearly half of U.S. adults have some level of periodontal disease. Also commonly called “gum disease,” the study,
published online in the Journal of Dental
Research, found that about 47% of U.S. adults ages 30 and older had
periodontitis. In adults ages 65 years and older, an estimated 70% have
periodontitis. The study was conducted in a sample of 3,743 adults who received
an examination as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
(NHANES) during 2009 and 2010.
disease is a disease of the gums and bone that surround and support the teeth.
It can range from a mild inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the teeth
(gingivitis) to irreversible chronic destruction of both the soft and hard
(bone) tissues supporting the teeth (periodontitis). The more severe form can
lead to tooth loss.
study shows that the prevalence of periodontal disease is high—nearly half of
all American adults have periodontitis and the percentage increases to nearly
three-fourths of older adults,” states the lead author on the report, CDC
Epidemiologist Pau I Eke, PhD, MPH, Division of Population Health, National
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. He added that the new study provides the most
accurate estimates of the percentage of U.S. adults who have periodontitis.
”This is the first time our survey was based on a full-mouth periodontal
examination using clinical measures from six sites around each tooth and from
all teeth.” Previous studies examined fewer sites around fewer teeth in
selected areas of the mouth.
the key findings of the study are that for adults 30 years and older, 8.7% had
mild periodontitis, 30% had moderate periodontitis, and 8.5% had severe
periodontitis. Periodontitis was higher
in men, Mexican Americans, adults with less than a high school education,
low-income adults, and in current smokers.
addition to tobacco use, other risk factors for gum disease include diabetes, stress,
crooked or crowded teeth, medications that cause dry mouth, immune-deficiencies,
hormonal changes in women.