Periodontal condition in patients of the specialist Outpatient Clinics at the Institute of Rural Health in Lublin, Poland.

INTRODUCTION: Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammation which, if remains untreated, can lead to the loss of teeth and supporting structures. Evidence data support the relationship of periodontal disease with the development and course of diseases such as heart attack, stroke, hypertension, chronic renal diseases, rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to conduct an assessment of periodontal status and periodontal needs in people from the rural environment who were patients of selected specialist outpatient clinics at the Institute of Rural Health in Lublin, Poland.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The examined population included 450 patients. The Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs, which is a measure of the assessment of the selected periodontal symptoms incidence, was used. The obtained data was discussed and analyzed with Chi-square test.

RESULTS: The data obtained revealed that a healthy periodontium occurred only in 5.1% of respondents, tartar in 41.6%, pathological pockets of 3.5-5.5 mm in 23.6%, and pockets deeper than 5.5 mm in 5.8% of patients. Most people with healthy periodontium were in the youngest age group. In the analyzed group, 7.1% of patients required specialized comprehensive periodontal treatment, and only 6.5% of the examined persons did not show any need for periodontal treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients of specialist clinics of the Institute of Rural Health who formed the analyzed group, had affected periodontium which required comprehensive periodontal treatment. The alarmingly high percentage of people over 55 years of age with advanced periodontopathy may translate into an increased risk of cause-and-effect incidence of systemic diseases.