Periodontitis in individuals with diabetes treated in the public health system of Belo Horizonte, Brazil

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of periodontitis among individuals with diabetes who use the public health system in the city of Belo Horizonte-Minas Gerais, Brazil, and the association of this condition with socioeconomic, behavioral and clinical variables. A cross-sectional study was carried out on a calculated sample of 300 individuals with diabetes. Periodontitis was defined as clinical attachment loss (CAL) > 3 mm in two or more non-adjacent teeth or those that exhibited CAL > 5 mm in 30.0% of teeth. All subjects were over 30 years of age and underwent a periodontal examination. Socioeconomic and behavioral characteristics as well as medical history and dental history were obtained from a structured interview. Multivariate analysis was conducted using Poisson regression. Among the individuals with diabetes, 6.7% exhibited good periodontal health, 68.0% exhibited gingivitis and 25.3% exhibited periodontitis. The following variables were associated with periodontitis after adjustment: male (PR 1.67 95% CI 1.12, 2.49), individuals with diabetes for more than eight years (PR 1.63 95% CI 1.63, 2.38), smokers (PR 1.71 95% CI 1.10, 2.65); individuals with more than 12 missing teeth (PR 2.67 95% CI 1.73, 4.15) Multiple determinants are associated with the prevalence of periodontitis among patients with diabetes.