Descriptive Analysis of Periodontitis Case Detection and Selected Comorbidities in Danish Private Dental Practices

To determine (i) the parameters used by dental professionals to evaluate patients with periodontitis, (ii) the prevalence of periodontitis using different case definitions and (iii) associations between periodontitis and diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis among adult patients in private practices in Denmark.

This nationwide descriptive study used data collected from private practices using the DentalSuite electronic dental record system between 2000 and 2022. Patients 18 years or older with a Danish social security number were included in the study. Prevalences of periodontitis were calculated using periodontal registrations and different case definitions for periodontitis. Registrations of selected comorbidities along with periodontitis, namely diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and rheumatoid arthritis, were also collected.

A total of 1,473,428 individuals were included in the study, of whom 782,464 (53%) were females. About 302,604 (20.5%) patients complied with the periodontal probing depth ≥ 5 mm PD case definition. Furthermore, 130,688 (8.9%) patients had periodontal parameters that fulfilled the more specific 2018 AAP/EFP classification. Periodontal probing depth registrations were available for 24% of the patients. Patients identified with periodontitis had higher prevalences of the selected comorbidities compared to the population as a whole.

In private practices in Denmark, probing pocket depth was the most frequently registered periodontal parameter used for screening and monitoring periodontitis. The selected comorbidities appeared to be more prevalent in patients with periodontitis.