Occurrence of self-reported systemic medical conditions in patients with periodontal disease

The objective of this retrospective study was to investigate the occurrence of self-reported systemic disorders in patients referred to a specialist clinic for periodontal treatment and to determine if an association existed between general health and periodontal disease severity in this population.

The study design was a case-controlled, retrospective chart review. Patient charts (n=1044) were selected from the Department of Periodontology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy. These charts were examined to determine patient's self-reported systemic condition. In addition, the periodontal diagnosis was recorded. Two examiners collected the data. One examiner abstracted patient's medical history from the standard clinic medical questionnaire. The second examiner assessed the radiographs and dental charts to determine the periodontal diagnosis.

The most frequent disorders in patients with gingivitis were high blood pressure (35.85%), followed by coronary artery disease (15.741%), kidney and urinary tract disorders (15.71%) and allergic reactions (14.28%). 80% of patients with gingivitis had at least one of these disorders. The most frequent disorders in patients with periodontitis were high blood pressure (29.51%) followed by digestive disorders (18.92%), coronary artery disease (16.54%), kidney and urinary tract disorders (16.24%), endocrine disorders (10.58 %), rheumatoid arthritis/rheumatism (9.68%), Hepatitis A (9.38%), diabetes (8.79%) allergic reactions (8.79%), liver and gallbladder disorders (7.30%), sinusitis (6.55%), osteoporosis (5.51%) and respiratory disorders (5.36%). 81.96% of patients with periodontitis had at least one of these disorders. However, only rheumatoid arthritis was found to be more prevalent in periodontitis patients compared with gingivitis affected individuals (p<0.05). Multiple correlations were found between the independent variables.

These findings support the results from previous investigators that a number of systemic conditions are closely associated with periodontal disease.