Prevalence and associated factors of periodontitis among patients attending a dental college in Pathanamthitta, Kerala: a cross-sectional study

Periodontal disease is one of the most common oral diseases. It significantly impacts the individual’s quality of life. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Periodontology (CDC/AAP) classification have been suggested to be better suited for reporting the prevalence of periodontal disease in populations as compared to other classification systems that have been used till date. This study was planned to determine the prevalence of periodontitis and associated factors among patients reporting to a dental college in Pathanamthitta, Kerala. This cross-sectional study examined 1254 outpatients from a dental college who responded to a proforma followed by a full-mouth periodontal examination, including probing depth and clinical attachment loss, to assess the prevalence and associated factors for periodontitis. Among study participants, the prevalence of moderate and severe periodontitis was 15.6% and 3.6%, respectively. Age, marital status, level of education, income, occupation, diabetes mellitus and hypertension were found to be significantly associated with the presence and severity of periodontitis. Among dental college attendees, moderate-to-severe periodontitis affected 19.2% and was associated with older age, lower education, and systemic conditions including diabetes mellitus and hypertension. While these findings inform clinical practice in similar settings, community-based epidemiological studies are necessary to guide population-level oral health policies in Kerala.