Method: Ninety-six individuals were recruited and divided into chronic periodontitis and healthy groups and matched for age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Socio-demographic, medical and oral conditions were assessed by means of self-administered questionnaires and clinical examinations. Chronic periodontitis was defined as having at least four teeth with ≥1 site with a pocket depth ≥4 mm and a clinical attachment loss ≥2 mm. Caries status was assessed by Decayed, Missing, and Filled Tooth surfaces (DMFS) index. Microbiological profiles for caries and periodontal statuses were identified by collection of supra- and subgingival plaque samples. Identification of pathogenic species and semi-quantitative assessments of plaque levels of Streptococcus mutans, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Fusobacterium nucleatum were conducted by PCR amplification techniques. Data were analyzed using bivariate statistical tests and logistic regression model.
Result: Participants with periodontal disease had higher level of mean DMFS and DFS scores than healthy control (P = 0.067 and P = 0.055, respectively). Healthy participants had statistically significant lower concentrations of P. gingivalis, P. intermedia and T. denticola than in those individuals with chronic periodontitis (P < 0.001, P = 0.008, P = 0.0017). Low education level, high levels of P. gingivalis were predictors of high risk of chronic periodontitis (AOR = 5.2 (CI: 1.7-15.9), P = 0.004, and AOR = 3.2 (CI: 1.0-9.8), P = 0.045).
Conclusion: Within the limit of this study, there is no association between caries and periodontal status in individuals with chronic periodontitis. Low education levels and high oral levels of P. gingivalis were strong risk factors for chronic periodontitis in a sample of an adult population in Quebec.