Alcohol use and periodontal pocket development: findings from a 4-yr longitudinal study

This study investigated whether alcohol use influences periodontal pocket development during a 4-yr follow-up period. The study included those participants who took part in both the Health 2000 Survey and the Follow-up Study on Finnish Adults' Oral Health. The participants at baseline were aged ≥30 yr, periodontally healthy, and did not have diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. The development of periodontal pockets at follow-up was measured as the number of teeth with periodontal pockets and the presence of periodontal pockets. Alcohol use at baseline was measured as g/wk, frequency, and use over the risk limit. Incidence rate ratios with 95% CI were estimated using negative binomial regression models and Poisson regression models with a robust variance estimator. No consistent association was found between any of the alcohol variables and periodontal pocket development in the total population or among non-smokers. Among smokers, a positive association was found with the frequency of alcohol use. In general, risk estimates were slightly higher for women than for men. In summary, light-to-moderate alcohol use appears not to be consistently associated with the development of periodontal pockets. The adverse effects on the periodontium seem, to some extent, to be dependent on gender and smoking.