Factors associated with periodontal diseases in a dental teaching clinic population in northern Jordan

Background: A cross-sectional study of 603 subjects between 15 and 65 years of age (270 males and 333 females) from a dental teaching center serving a local population in northern Jordan was performed to identify the factors associated with probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival recession (GR), and number of missing teeth (MT). Methods: All patients were interviewed orally and examined, using a structured questionnaire, by a single examiner. For each patient, the oral hygiene of six selected teeth and periodontal status of all teeth, excluding third molars, were assessed using plaque index (PI), PD, CAL, GR, and MT. Whole-mouth averages of PD, CAL, and GR were calculated and used as the outcome variables. Results: Increased age, plaque index, having diabetes, and smoking more than 15 pack-years were significantly associated with increased PD, CAL, and GR. Brushing was significantly associated with decreased PD and MT, while brushing more than once per day was associated with increased GR. Use of dental floss and having hypertension were significantly associated with increased CAL and GR. Having peptic ulcers and having allergies were significantly associated with increased CAL only. Conclusions: The findings suggest that increased age, high plaque index, having diabetes, and smoking more than 15 pack-years are risk indicators of periodontal diseases as assessed by PD, CAL, and GR. Longitudinal, intervention, and etiology-focused studies will establish whether these indicators are true risk factors.