Identifying metabolic parameters related to severity and extent of periodontitis in down syndrome patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Systemic metabolic status and periodontitis can be related in patients with Down syndrome (DS). The objective of this study was to identify metabolic indicators (anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and serum markers) related to severity and extent of periodontitis in DS patients.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 49 patients with DS. Periodontal evaluation included the periodontal probing depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival bleeding index (GBI), and visible plaque index (VPI). Periodontitis severity was classified by the stages system. The extent of periodontitis was assessed as the percentage of sites with CAL ≥3 mm, CAL ≥4 mm, PPD ≥4 mm, and PPD ≥5 mm. The metabolic condition of the participants was determined by analyzing anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, and serum markers. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTS

Periodontitis stage 3/4 was detected in 32.7% of patients, with high values of VPI (54.6 ± 35.8) and GBI (42.4 ± 33.3). The severity of periodontitis was related to higher mean corpuscular hemoglobin (β = .291, p = .028) and mean corpuscular volume values (β = .293, p = .046). Arm circumference measurements were inversely related to CAL ≥3 mm (β = -.408, p = .023), PPD ≥4 mm (β = -.475, p = .006), and PPD ≥5 mm (β = -.443, p = .010).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that the severity and extent of periodontitis may be related to some metabolic parameters in DS patients.

Oral health needs of athletes with intellectual disability in Southern Europe: Greece, Italy and Spain

AIMS

The population with intellectual disabilities (ID) has been reported to be a vulnerable population in terms of oral health. The aims of this study were to evaluate the oral condition and treatment needs of Special Olympics (SO) athletes from Greece, Italy and Spain.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A cross-sectional study was performed with data collected in annual SO events held in Greece, Italy and Spain, between 2010 and 2012. The recorded parameters were the presence/absence of edentulism, untreated decay, filled or missing teeth, sealants, tooth injury and signs of gingival disease. Among the main findings, the prevalence of untreated decay was 57.0% in Greece, 48.8% in Italy and 41.7% of the Spanish athletes. The prevalence of signs of gingival disease was 61.1% in Greece, 60.6% in Italy and 66.1% in Spain. While the majority of the athletes were in need of dental treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral disease is an unresolved problem among athletes with ID in these Mediterranean countries. Therefore efforts should be directed to meet their treatment needs and to prevent oral disease.