Periodontal Status Among Elderly Inhabitants Of Northern Manhattan: The Whicap Ancillary Study Of Oral Health

AimWe conducted a cross-sectional study of the prevalence, extent and severity of periodontitis in a tri-ethnic cohort of 65 year-old participants of the Washington-Heights Inwood Community Aging Project (WHICAP).Methods1,130 individuals (57% of eligible invitees) participated in a full-mouth periodontal examination that included assessments of bleeding on probing, pocket depth and clinical attachment loss (CAL) at six sites/tooth.ResultsParticipants had a mean age of 75.4years (SD 6.7), were predominantly female (66.6%) and Hispanic (44.7%), and of middle/low educational attainment (similar to 82%). The prevalence of edentulism was 14.7%, and an average of 17.1 teeth (SD 8.0) was present among the dentate. The prevalence of moderate/severe periodontitis according to the CDC/AAP definition was 77.5%. Pockets 6mm were found in 50.2% of the sample, affecting an average of 5.7% of teeth/person. Corresponding figures for CAL5mm were 71.4% and 23.6%, respectively. In multivariable models, male gender, being Black or Hispanic, and no dental visit within the prior year were associated with higher proportion of teeth with CAL 5mm.ConclusionsThe prevalence, extent and severity of periodontitis were higher than the US national average in this urban elderly sample, suggesting substantial unmet periodontal treatment needs.