Oral Health, U.S. 2002 Annual Report
Section 3: PERIODONTAL DISEASES
| 3.2 |
Percentage of adults with destructive periodontal disease |
There is no universally agreed upon definition of periodontitis or of disease
severity. In this report we will use the Healthy People 2010 definition of
destructive periodontal disease (DP) as the presence of one or more sites with
4 mm or greater loss of tooth attachment compared to surrounding periodontal
tissues (US DHHS, 2000). Twenty-six percent of the U.S. population aged 20
years and older had destructive periodontitis. In contrast, 5.6% of the U.S.
population aged 20 years and older had severe destructive periodontitis, as
measured by a mean loss of attachment of at least 5 mm (NHANES III, unpublished
data).
Good oral hygiene, such as daily tooth brushing and flossing and periodic
cleaning by a dentist or hygienist, can reduce the amount of bacterial plaque
on tooth and gingival surfaces and help maintain periodontal health.
SOURCE OF DATA
The analyses reported here are based on the Third National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey (NHANES III) 1988–1994, National Center for Health
Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Periodontal diseases (as measured by loss of attachment of at least 4 mm at one
or more sites)
-
Differences by age (Figure 3.2.1)
-
The percentage of persons with DP was higher among older age groups.
-
Differences by race/ethnicity (Figure 3.2.1)
-
A greater percentage of non-Hispanic blacks compared to non-Hispanic whites and
Mexican Americans had DP.
-
Differences by federal poverty level (Figure 3.2.2)
-
The percentage of persons with DP was greater among persons living below the
federal poverty level compared to persons living at or above the federal
poverty level.
-
Differences by education (Figure 3.2.2)
-
The percentage of persons with DP was lower at higher levels of education.
-
Differences by smoking status (Figure 3.2.2)
-
A higher percentage of persons who smoked at least 100 cigarettes during their
lifetime had DP compared to those who have not.
Bullets reference data that can be found in
Table 3.2.1.
REFERENCES
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010. Conference
ed. With Understanding and Improving Health and Objectives for Improving
Health. 2 vols. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2000.
Figure 3.2.1. Prevalence of loss of attachment of 4 mm or more
among adults aged 20 and older by age and race/ethnicity*
 [D]
* Age standardized to the year 2000 U.S. population (race/ethnicity
only).
Data source: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES
III) 1988–1994, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
Figure 3.2.2. Prevalence of loss of attachment of 4 mm or more
among adults aged 20 and older by selected characteristics*
 [D]
* Age standardized to the year 2000 U.S. population.
Data source: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES
III) 1988–1994, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
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