The Prevalence of Comorbidities in Individuals with Periodontitis in a Private Periodontal Referral Practice

Objectives: Periodontitis (PD) patients frequently suffer from comorbidities, necessitating increased attention to disease management and monitoring. The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence and patterns of comorbidities among patients with PD in a private periodontal referral practice. Methods: This study involved 3171 adults with PD. Data on demographics, lifestyle, number of teeth, pockets of size ≥ 6 mm, bleeding on probing, periodontal inflammatory surface area, and comorbidities were extracted from electronic patient records. Descriptive and statistical analyses, including t-tests, chi-square tests, cluster analysis, binomial logistic regression analysis, and hypergraph network analysis, were performed. Results: Among this PD population, 47% had a comorbidity, and 20% had multimorbidity (≥2 diseases). Based on the disease patterns, two distinct clusters emerged: Cluster 1 was dominated by respiratory tract conditions (asthma, lung disease, and allergic rhinitis), allergies, and hypothyroidism, while Cluster 2 primarily included cardiometabolic diseases (angina pectoris, hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), and hyperthyroidism). The hypergraph network analysis for those with multimorbidity identified two main groups: (i) pulmonary conditions (lung disease, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergies) and (ii) cardiometabolic disorders (hypertension, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, and DM). Hypertension, allergies, and allergic rhinitis showed high centrality, serving as central nodes frequently co-occurring with other diseases. Conclusions: Nearly half of the PD patients in a private periodontal referral practice were found to have comorbidities, primarily clustering into cardiometabolic and respiratory tract diseases. These findings, based on real-world data, should encourage dental professionals to integrate systemic conditions into their care strategies. They could also guide policymakers and practitioners in developing evidence-based approaches to mitigate the reciprocal negative effects of PD and comorbidities.