A longitudinal study of untreated periodontal disease

1016 textile workers were examined during a baseline study in 1969/70. A follow-up examination in 1979/80 identified 82 subjects who had not been treated for periodontal disease in the intervening period. There were 39 male and 43 female subjects; the average age at the initial examination was 27.0 years. There was an average tooth loss of 2.5 (SEM 0.6) teeth per subject over the 10-year period. While periodontal disease was significantly related to oral hygiene at the outset, neither factor was significantly related to the degree of tooth loss. A detailed analysis of the dynamics of the periodontal condition was undertaken. The subsequent results are presented in the form of transition matrices and clearly illustrate both the progression of periodontal disease and the degree of tooth loss associated with each level of periodontal disease at the initial examination. The main findings are as follows. (a) Overall 6% of teeth initially free of periodontal disease (P.I.O.) were lost compared to 14% with destructive periodontal disease (P.I.6). (b) Progression of periodontal disease was slow for teeth initially free of periodontal disease and with mild gingivitis (P.I.0 and P.I.1) for all age groups. However severe gingivitis (P.I.2), resulted in more rapid deterioration of the supporting tissues in subjects over 35 years old at the final examination; 35% of such teeth changed to destructive periodontal disease (P.I.6) compared to 17% of corresponding teeth for the under 35-year age group. In contrast, a poorer prognosis was found for the teeth with destructive periodontal disease (P.I.6) in the younger age group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)