Risk Determinants Associated with Incipient Alveolar Bone Loss in Adolescents

Methods: The subjects (n=686), enrolled at seven public dental clinics in suburban Stockholm, answered a questionnaire on general health, tobacco habits and oral hygiene habits and their parents socioeconomic background. The clinical and radiographic examination included registration of plaque, bleeding on probing (GBI), supra- and subgingival calculus, caries and restorations. Incipient alveolar bone loss was recorded when the distance from the cementoenamel junction to the alveolar crest was >= 2.0 mm.

Results: Of the subjects, 11.9 % exhibited GBI > 25 %, 14.3 % subgingival calculus and 5.1 % incipient alveolar bone loss. A multivariate analysis with incipient alveolar bone loss as dependent variable, disclosed the associated variables to be, subgingival calculus, (Odds ratio (OR) 4.2) and proximal restoration >= 1 (OR 2.1). In the absence of all the significant variables, the estimated probability of incipient alveolar bone loss in adolescents was 2.6 %. When subgingival calculus was present, the probability increased to 10.3 %. When both subgingival calculus and proximal restorations were present, the cumulative probability increased to 19.6 %. Subgingival calculus was associated with the variables,GBI > 25 % (OR 6.0), incipient alveolar bone loss (OR 5.4), supragingival calculus (OR 4.9) and father born abroad (OR 2.5). The cumulative probability of subgingival calculus determined by the variables gingival bleeding, incipient alveolar bone loss, supragingival calculus, and a foreign-born father, was 90.4 %.

Conclusions: Subgingival calculus and proximal restorations are risk factors associated with incipient alveolar bone loss in adolescents.