Unit 7 - Epidemiology of Periodontal Disease Flashcards
What is the definition of epidemiology?
Study of factors and conditions that determine the occurrence and distribution of disease patterns in groups of people
What is the definition of prevalence?
Proportion of persons affected by a disease at a given point in time
What is the definition of incidence?
The rate of occurrence of new disease during a period of time
Why is it difficult to determine the prevalence and incidence of gingivitis and periodontitis?
- A lot of patients with disease don’t go to the dentist regularly
- Is a multifactorial disease
- Lots of ups and downs with disease
What are a few purposes of epidemiologic studies?
- Identify potential cause of disease
- Estimate those at risk
- Find mode of transmission
What is the limitation of epidemiology studies?
Can discover only associations, cannot determine causation
What are a few factors that determine causation?
- Strength of association
- Intervention/dose-response
- Temporal consistency
- Consistency of finding
- Biological plausibility
What are the three main diseases evaluated in the epidemiology studies?
- Gingivitis
- Chronic periodontitis
- Aggressive periodontitis
When does gingivitis occur? 3 factors.
- In the absence of good oral hygiene
- Increases with age, starting at 5
- Highest prevalence during puberty
Do males or females have more gingival inflammation?
Males
What does bleeding on probing help diagnose?
Gingivitis
What is localized aggressive peritonitis?
- Periodontal destruction around 1st molars and incisors
When does localized aggressive peritonitis onset?
After puberty
What is the race predilection of localized aggressive peritonitis?
1-2% of African descent, 0.1-0.2 in white descent
What is generalized aggressive peritonitis?
- Very severe generalized pattern of bone loss
- Periodontal destruction is related to plaque
What periodontal diseases are associated with family aggregation?
Localized and generalized aggressive periodontitis
When does generalized aggressive peritonitis onset?
After puberty
What is chronic periodontitis?
- Slow chronic disease
- No specific pattern of destruction
- Common disease
When does chronic periodontitis onset?
After puberty, but not usually apparent until third or fourth decade of life
What positive correlation is associated with chronic periodontitis?
Positive correlation between destructive periodontal disease prevalence and age
Is chronic periodontal disease incidence constant over age?
Yes, new cases occur at the approximately the same rate over all ages
How does oral cleanliness affect chronic periodontal disease?
Strong positive correlation between periodontal destruction and level of oral cleanliness
Do men or women demonstrate a greater amount of periodontal disease?
Men
How does age affect chronic periodontitis?
Strong positive correlation between disease severity and age
