Periodontal risk assessment and associated factors in young adults: a cross-sectional study

Periodontal diseases are common chronic inflammatory conditions with a multifactorial etiology among young adults. Periodontal Risk Assessment (PRA) enables the systematic identification of individual disease risk, thereby facilitating early intervention and the implementation of preventive strategies. This study aimed to determine PRA risk levels in a young adult population and to investigate the demographic, environmental, and periodontal factors associated with these risk levels. A total of 100 volunteer individuals who presented for routine dental examination were included in the study. Demographic, behavioral, and periodontal parameters were recorded. Clinical assessments comprised the plaque index, gingival index, probing depth, bleeding on probing, number of missing teeth, and radiographic bone loss. Periodontal risk levels were classified according to the PRA functional diagram. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Of the participants, 38% were classified as low risk, 46% as moderate risk, and 16% as high risk according to PRA. In the high risk PRA group, males exhibited a 4.30-fold higher periodontal disease risk compared with females, and single individuals demonstrated a higher risk than married participants. Furthermore, increased plaque index, gingival index, and probing depth values were significantly associated with a higher PRA risk. PRA analyses in young adults showed that a substantial proportion of participants had moderate or high periodontal risk. Male sex, single marital status, elevated plaque and gingival indices, and increased probing depth were associated with higher risk. These findings highlight PRA as a valuable tool for early periodontal risk assessment in young adults. Early identification of periodontal risk in young adults can guide preventive interventions and reduce the risk of disease progression.