Prevalence of deep periodontal pockets in New Mexico adults aged 27 to 74 years

The purpose of this study was to describe the distribution of advanced periodontal destruction (pocket depth equal to or deeper than six mm) in continuous residents, aged 27 to 74 years, of Lordsburg and Deming, New Mexico. The distance from the free gingival margin to the base of the gingival crevice or pocket was measured on the facial and mesiofacial sides of six index teeth. The presence of supragingival calculus, subgingival calculus, and plaque, as well as gingival bleeding around the index teeth, also were evaluated. Of the 372 examinees, only 46 individuals (12.4 percent) had at least one deep pocket equal to or deeper than six mm on at least one site on the six index teeth. Age was significantly associated with prevalence of deep pockets, although about 80 percent of those aged 47 to 74 years did not have deep pockets. Of those with deep pockets, 89.1 percent had fewer than four tooth sites (out of 12) affected. The only significant risk factor of the presence of deep pockets, other than age, was the number of teeth with plaque accumulations. Age and the number of teeth with plaque explained only 10.5 percent of the variability in the prevalence of deep pocketing, suggesting that risk factors other than those included in this study may be important. The results of this study indicate that destructive periodontal disease occurs at selected sites within the mouth, and that about 87 percent of the adults over age 27, in this population, do not have deep pockets in the six index teeth examined.