Periodontitis in US Adults National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2014

Background. This report presents weighted average estimates of the prevalence of periodontitis in the adult US population during the 6 years 2009-2014 and highlights key findings of a national periodontitis surveillance project. Methods. Estimates were derived for dentate adults 30 years or older from the civilian noninstitutionalized population whose periodontitis status was assessed by means of a full-mouth periodontal examination at 6 sites per tooth on all non-third molar teeth. Results are reported according to a standard format by applying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology periodontitis case definitions for surveillance, as well as various thresholds of clinical attachment loss and periodontal probing depth. Results. An estimated 42% of dentate US adults 30 years or older had periodontitis, with 7.8% having severe periodontitis. Overall, 3.3% of all periodontally probed sites (9.1% of all teeth) had periodontal probing depth of 4 millimeters or greater, and 19.0% of sites (37.1% of teeth) had clinical attachment loss of 3 mm or greater. Severe periodontitis was most prevalent among adults 65 years or older, Mexican Americans, non-Hispanic blacks, and smokers. Conclusions. This nationally representative study shows that periodontitis is a highly prevalent oral disease among US adults.