Periodontal disease in military aircrew members: a clinical and radiographical study

The purpose of this study was to evaluate, clinically as well as radiographically, the periodontal conditions of aircrew members in comparison to an age-matched control group of nonflying individuals with similar sociomedical background. Seventy pilots from the Swedish Air Force, ranging in age from 20-54 years, participated in the study. The age-matched control group consisted of 24 military officers not occupationally involved in flying. The clinical examination comprised the following parameters: number of teeth, plaque index, gingival index, probing depths, and loss of attachment. In addition, a complete set of intraoral roentgenograms was taken using a parallel technique. In the roentgenograms, the height of the interproximal alveolar bone was assessed at six predetermined teeth in each jaw. All participants were also asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning their dental care and oral hygiene habits. The results from the clinical and radiographical examinations showed that the periodontal conditions of both groups of participants in the present study were better than that of the average Swedish population, but did not reveal any major differences between aircrew members and nonflying individuals. It was concluded that flying conditions per se do not result in an increased rate of periodontal tissue breakdown.