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Oral Health Impact of Periodontal Diseases in Adolescents

Royal Dental College, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Aarhus, Vennelyst Boulevard 9, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark

^* corresponding author, rlopez{at}odont.au.dk

The need for treatment of destructive periodontal diseases is based on observations made by oral health professionals, who, prompted by clinical findings, recommend treatment. We hypothesized that clinical signs of periodontal destruction have an impact on the oral-health-related quality of life of adolescents. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 9203 Chilean high school students sampled by a multistage random cluster procedure. We recorded clinical attachment levels and the presence of necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. The students answered the Spanish version of the Oral Health Impact Profile and provided information on several socio-economic indicators. The results of multivariable logistic regression analyses (adjusted for age, gender, and tooth loss) showed that both attachment loss [OR = 2.0] and necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis [OR = 1.6] were significantly associated with higher impact on the Oral Health Related Quality of Life of adolescents. Individuals in lower socioeconomic positions systematically reported a higher impact on their oral-health-related quality of life.

KEY WORDS: adolescence • periodontitis • periodontal disease • quality of life • socioeconomic factors