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Updated: Jan 2, 2026
Robust Ligature-Induced Model of Murine Periodontitis for the Evaluation of Oral Neutrophils
Published on: January 21, 2020
Dental caries is associated with severe periodontitis in Chilean adults: a cross-sectional study
Franz-Josef Strauss1,2, Iris Espinoza3, Alexandra Stähli4,5
1Department of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de Chile, Olivos 943, Comuna de Independencia, Santiago, Chile. drstrauss@odontologia.uchile.cl.
Background:
The co-occurrence of caries and periodontitis and a possible association is still a matter of debate. Thus, the aim of the study was to determine the co-occurrence of caries and periodontitis in Chilean adults.
Methods:
Evaluation of periodontal and dental status in 994 adults (35-44 years old) based on the First Chilean National Examination Survey 2007-2008. The prevalence of caries was defined as the percentage of participants with one or more teeth with untreated caries by using the D component of the DMFT index (DT ≠ 0). The prevalence of periodontitis was determined using standard case definitions for population-based surveillance of periodontitis described by the CDC-AAP.
Results:
Individuals with caries had an approximately 40% higher prevalence of severe (29.3% vs 20.8%, p < 0.05) and a 13% higher prevalence of total periodontitis (89.3% vs 78.4%, p < 0.05) than those without caries. Ordinal logistic regression revealed a positive association between periodontitis and the number of teeth with caries (DT ≠ 0; 3 or 4 teeth with caries: OR 1.74; CI = 1.12-2.29 p < 0.05; 5 or more teeth with caries: OR 2.47; CI = 1.66-3.67 p < 0.01).
Conclusion:
Dental caries is associated with the severity and prevalence of periodontitis in Chilean adults. Individuals with 3 or more teeth with untreated caries are more likely to suffer from periodontal disease.
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