Parameters affecting tooth loss during periodontal maintenance in a Greek population

Predictors of tooth loss during long-term periodontal maintenance: An updated systematic review

AIM

To evaluate the risk factors / predictors of tooth loss in patients with periodontitis who underwent periodontal therapy and long-term periodontal maintenance (PM).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

PubMed, CENTRAL, EMBASE, Web of Science, LILACS and Scholar were searched up to and including September 2020. Studies limited to periodontitis patients who underwent active periodontal therapy (APT) and followed a regular PM programme with 5 years follow-up minimum were eligible for inclusion in this review. Studies were included if they reported data on tooth loss during PM. Random effects meta-analyses of number of tooth loss per patient per year were conducted.

RESULTS

Thirty-six papers regarding thirty-three studies were included in this review, with three prospective 30 retrospective trials. Subgroup meta-analysis showed no differences between prospective and retrospective studies, with an average of 0.1 tooth loss per year per patient (p < 0.001). Maxillary and molar teeth were more susceptible to be extracted during long-term PM. Baseline characteristics (smoking, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, being male and teeth with furcation lesions) showed no significance as predictor of tooth loss through meta-regression. The percentage of tooth loss due to periodontal reasons ranged from 0.45% to 14.4%. The individual outcomes in each study evidenced different patient-related factors (age and smoking) and tooth-related factors (i.e. tooth type and location) were associated with tooth loss during PM.

CONCLUSION

The majority of patients undergoing long-term PM have not lost teeth. On average, long-term PM effectively causes the loss of 1 tooth per patient every 10 years. Additional prospective trials may confirm these results.

Effects of smoking on tooth loss among individuals under periodontal maintenance therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Dental mortality has been reported by longitudinal studies on periodontal maintenance therapy (PMT), but the independent effect of smoking on tooth loss (TL), adjusted for important confounding variables, has been poorly evaluated. This systematic review aimed to assess and analyze the isolated effect of smoking TL among individuals undergoing PMT. Electronic, manual, grey literature, and recent articles (from April 2018) were searched, with no restriction regarding language; respective dates of publication were included. Epidemiological clinical studies reporting TL data among smokers undergoing PMT in comparison to nonsmoker control groups were selected. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Meta-analysis was performed, as well as I2 heterogeneity and sensitivity tests. Evidence quality was assessed using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation). Eleven papers were included in the systematic review: four case-control and seven cohort studies. Ten out of the 11 studies concluded that smoking was an important risk factor for the occurrence of TL. Meta-analysis of four of the cohort studies found that smokers had 3.24 times the chance of occurrence of TL than nonsmokers undergoing PMT (95%CI: 1.33-7.90). Overall, studies' risk of bias was low. The quality of the scientific evidence moderately supports that smokers undergoing PMT have a greater chance of TL than nonsmokers.

Tooth Loss in Patients under Periodontal Maintenance in a Private Practice: A Retrospective Study

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the incidence and causes of tooth loss in periodontal subjects from a private practice in Brazil. Two trained examiners extracted data from the records of subjects who sought periodontal treatment from 1980 to 2013. Only records of patients who completed the non-surgical periodontal treatment and had at least one visit for maintenance were included. Data were analyzed by chi-square test, Student's t-test, Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Cox regression. A total of 3,319 records were reviewed and 737 records included (58.6% women, mean age of 46.6±13.0 years at the beginning of the treatment). Maintenance period ranged from 1 to 33 years (7.4±6 years). During this period, 202 individuals (27.4%) lost 360 teeth, 47.5% of losses within the first five years (n=171). Non-compliers lost more teeth than compliers (p<0.001), respectively 211 and 149 teeth. Regarding reasons of tooth loss, 84 individuals lost 38% of the teeth from periodontal disease progression (n=137). Survival analysis showed that most patients lost only one tooth from periodontal disease, and differences in the survival rates between compliers and non-compliers were observed following the second tooth loss. Approximately one-third of tooth losses was related to periodontal disease progression, and there was stability in time of the proportion of losses from disease progression and other reasons. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that compliant patients in a private practice lose fewer teeth than do non-compliers. Among compliers, periodontal disease progression was not the main cause of tooth loss.

Predictors of long-term outcomes in patients undergoing periodontal maintenance

AIM

This retrospective study aimed to characterize the baseline status of patients following periodontal maintenance, analysing the association between the long-term outcome of these patients, smoking, bruxism, and the main clinical and radiographic variables.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A sample of 174 patients with moderate to severe periodontitis was refined into homogeneous subsamples according to smoking and bruxism and the rate of tooth loss due to periodontal disease (TLPD): 0, 1-2, and >2 teeth. The association and the distribution (χ² test) of the variables within the subsamples were analysed.

RESULTS

Smoking and bruxism were significantly associated with higher TLPD rates. Vertical and circumferential bone defects (p < .0001), and abfractions (p < .0001) were associated with bruxism and particularly with bruxism and TLPD >2. Furcation defects (p = .0002), fewer radio-opaque subgingival calculus (χ² p < .0001), a lower mean Gingival index (χ² p = .027), and increased mean recessions >1.5 mm (χ² p = .0026) were associated with smoking and higher TLPD rates. The mean baseline mobility, abfractions, and recessions characterized two basic types of TLPD.

CONCLUSIONS

Smoking, bruxism, and routine clinical and radiological parameters can be used to characterize the baseline status of patients with worse outcomes.

A Randomized Double-Masked Clinical Trial Comparing Four Periodontitis Treatment Strategies: 5-Year Tooth Loss Results

BACKGROUND

Tooth loss is the ultimate negative consequence of periodontitis, and reports of the extent to which different treatment strategies may influence long-term tooth loss are hard to find. This study aims to test the hypothesis that there is no difference in 5-year clinical outcome of therapy in terms of tooth mortality between groups of patients treated with conventional scaling and root planing (SRP) over weeks or same-day full-mouth disinfection (FDIS), with or without adjunctive metronidazole (MET).

METHODS

One hundred eighty-four patients with moderate-to-severe periodontitis were randomly allocated to one of four treatment groups: 1) FDIS+MET; 2) FDIS+placebo; 3) SRP+MET; and 4) SRP+placebo. Total 161 patients (88%) completed the 5-year follow-up examination, and data on number and timing of tooth extractions as well as pre-extraction diagnoses and reasons for extractions were analyzed.

RESULTS

No differences were observed between groups with regard to number of, reasons for, or time of extractions in the four groups at baseline and 1, 3, and 5 years after treatment.

CONCLUSION

If extraction or retention of teeth is regarded as a measure of failure or success 5 years after completion of periodontal therapy, none of the four strategies produced an end result better than the other.

Appropriate Recall Interval for Periodontal Maintenance: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to assess the evidence to support a specific time interval between periodontal maintenance (PM) visits.

METHODS

Relevant articles were identified through searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE and PubMed using specific search terms, until April, 2014, resulting in 1095 abstracts and/or titles with possible relevance. Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) guidelines were used to evaluate the strength of studies and synthesize findings. If mean recall interval was not reported for study groups, authors were contacted to attempt to retrieve this information.

RESULTS

Eight cohort studies met the inclusion criteria. No randomized control trials were found. All included studies assessed the effect of PM recall intervals in terms of compliance with a recommended regimen (3-6 months) as a primary outcome. Shorter PM intervals (3-6 months) favored more teeth retention but also statistically insignificant differences between RC and IC/EC, or converse findings are also found. In the 2 studies reporting mean recall interval in groups, significant tooth loss differences were noted as the interval neared the 12 month limit.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence for a specific recall interval (e.g. every 3 months) for all patients following periodontal therapy is weak. Further studies, such as RCTs or large electronic database evaluations would be appropriate. The merits of risk-based recommendations over fixed recall interval regimens should be explored.

Predictors of tooth loss due to periodontal disease in patients following long-term periodontal maintenance

AIM

To analyse patient-related factors (PRFs) and tooth-related factors (TRFs) associated with tooth loss due to periodontal disease (TLPD) in patients undergoing periodontal maintenance (PM).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The sample consisted of 500 patients (mean follow-up of 20 years). The impact of PRFs on TLPD was analysed with Poisson regression and multivariate logistic regression. The simultaneous impact of PRFs and TRFs was analysed with multilevel logistic regression and Cox regression.

RESULTS

Tooth loss due to periodontal disease was 515 (mean 0.05 patient/year). The significant PRFs were severe periodontitis (p < 0.001), aggressive periodontitis (p < 0.001), smoking (p = 0.018), bruxism (p = 0.022) and baseline number of teeth (p = 0.001). These PRFs allowed characterizing patients losing more teeth. The whole TRFs analysed were significant, depending on the type of tooth and the category of each factor (e.g. mobility 0, 1, 2, and 3). The significant PRFs increased the risk of TLPD by 2 to 3 times while TRFs increased the risk to a higher extent. Mobility was the main TRF.

CONCLUSIONS

Severe periodontitis, aggressive periodontitis, smoking, bruxism and baseline number of teeth, as well as the whole TRFs analysed, were associated with TLPD.

Variables affecting tooth survival and changes in probing depth: a long-term follow-up of periodontitis patients

AIM

To retrospectively assess tooth-survival rate and its association with patient and oral variables in periodontal office patients, followed up to 18 years.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Patients in a private periodontal office whose files included initial examination (T0 ), reevaluation (TRe ) and ≥ 10 years after T0 (TF ) chartings, and received periodontal therapy and supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) after TRe were included. General health, plaque scores (PI), probing depth (PPD), bleeding on probing (BOP) at six points/tooth, tooth extractions, and SPT visits were extracted from patient files at T0 , TRe , and TF . Descriptive statistics and Cox regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS

Fifty patients (mean 26 ± 4 teeth/patient, 1301 teeth) fulfilled inclusion criteria. About 20 and 129 teeth respectively were extracted before/after TRe , 96 of them for periodontal causes. PPD>7 mm at TRe (HR = 17.7, 95%CI 8.6, 36.6), age above 60 years (HR = 3.3, 95%CI 1.5, 7.2), multi-rooted teeth (HR = 1.9, 95%CI 1.2, 3.1) and SPT<3 times/year (HR = 1.8, 95%CI 1.1, 2.9), were the best prognostic factors for tooth loss during follow-up. (p < 0.05, Cox regression analysis). A continuous, statistically significant reduction was observed in mean PPD among teeth that survived follow-up [4.3 ± 1.8 mm, 3.5 ± 1.4 mm, 3.2 ± 1.3 mm, at T0 , TRe , TF , respectively. (p < 0.001, Repeated-measures test)].

CONCLUSION

Regular SPT was associated with low tooth-loss rates and continuous reductions in probing depth. PPD after initial therapy, age above 60, multi-rooted teeth and infrequent SPT were strong negative prognostic factors for long-term tooth survival among periodontal patients.

Impact of Patient Compliance on Tooth Loss during Supportive Periodontal Therapy

Periodontal treatment consists of active periodontal therapy (APT) and supportive periodontal therapy (SPT). Regular SPT is recommended to prevent and control the occurrence of periodontal disease following APT. A patient’s compliance with SPT is considered one of the most important factors affecting long-term periodontal status. Tooth loss is generally considered the final outcome of periodontitis. This review aimed to analyze the relationship between patient compliance with regular SPT and tooth loss. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guideline for systematic reviews was used. A search of articles was conducted using MEDLINE (PubMed) and other databases. Quality assessments of selected studies were performed. To assess the effect of compliance on tooth loss during SPT, pooled risk ratio of tooth loss (RRTL) was used as the primary outcome. Pooled risk difference of tooth loss (RDTL) and weighted mean difference of tooth loss rate (WDTLR) were used as secondary outcomes. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were conducted to evaluate the effects of different variables. In total, 710 articles were screened. Eight studies, which had a regular-compliance (RC) group and an erratic-compliance (EC) group with at least a 5-y follow-up period, qualified for the meta-analysis. The risk of tooth loss in the RC group was significantly lower than that in the EC group (pooled RRTL: 0.56 [confidence interval (CI): 0.38, 0.82]; pooled RDTL: –0.05 [CI: –0.08, –0.01]). The definition of compliance was a variable significantly related to risk ratio of tooth loss. Patients in the RC group had significantly lower tooth loss rate during SPT than did patients in the EC group (WDTLR: –0.12 [CI: –0.19, –0.05]). Teeth have less risk of being lost if patients are more compliant with supportive periodontal therapy. However, unidentified variables causing data heterogeneity and affecting the risk of tooth loss may have been present. More well-controlled prospective studies are needed in the future.

Quality of logistic regression reporting in studies of tooth survival after periodontal treatment

AIM

To evaluate the quality of reporting of logistic regression models used to assess risk factors for tooth loss in patients who have received periodontal treatment.

MATERIALS/METHODS

The PubMed, EMBASE, BIOSIS Citation Index, CINAHL, Web of Science, and LILACS electronic databases were searched up to 01 March 2014 to identify interventional longitudinal studies assessing risk factors for tooth loss after periodontal treatment. The reference lists of included studies were searched manually. No language restriction was applied to the search. Quality of reporting of logistic regression models was assessed using analytical and documentation criteria with a 15-item checklist. Criteria were judged as met (adequately reported) or not met (not reported). All searches, selection, data extraction, and quality assessment were performed independently and in duplicate.

RESULTS

Of 621 records initially retrieved, 24 articles were included in the analysis. Less than 30% of all 360 datapoints were met. "Coding of independent variables" was reported most frequently [n = 22 (83%) articles]. Criteria such as "internal and external validation of the model" were not met in any study assessed.

CONCLUSION

The reporting of logistic regression models in studies assessing risk factors for tooth loss in patients who have received periodontal treatment is not optimal.

Tooth loss in aggressive periodontitis: a systematic review

Aggressive periodontitis (AgP) is thought to have a faster rate of progression than chronic periodontitis (CP). However, there is a lack of studies systematically investigating disease progression and tooth loss in AgP. A systematic search of the literature was conducted by two independent reviewers for longitudinal studies including patients with AgP (previously known as 'periodontosis', 'juvenile' or 'early-onset' periodontitis) indicating measures of disease progression. Ovid MEDLINE(®) and Embase databases were searched for at least 5-year longitudinal human studies in AgP patients. In total, 16 studies were included in the review, from an initial search of 1,601 titles. Heterogeneity was detected for disease definition and clinical data reporting; hence meta-analysis was feasible only for the objective measure 'tooth loss'. The average tooth loss for all AgP cases was 0.09 (95% C.I. = 0.06-0.16) per patient-year. The corresponding values by diagnosis were 0.05, 0.14, and 0.12 tooth loss per patient-year, respectively, for LAgP, GAgP, and un-specified AgP. For studies reporting tooth loss during the 'observational period' (excluding extractions at initial therapy), the average tooth loss for AgP was 0.09 per patient-year. High heterogeneity was detected for these analyses. In conclusion, most studies report good long-term stability of treated AgP cases.

Tooth loss in aggressive periodontitis after active periodontal therapy: patient-related and tooth-related prognostic factors

OBJECTIVES

To assess prognostic factors for tooth loss after active periodontal therapy (APT) in patients with aggressive periodontitis (AgP) at tooth level.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Eighty-four patients with AgP were re-evaluated after a mean period of 10.5 years of supportive periodontal therapy (SPT). Two thousand and fifty-four teeth were entered into the model. The tooth-related factors including baseline bone loss, tooth location and type, furcation involvement (FI), regenerative therapy, and abutment status, as well as time of follow-up and other patient-related factors were tested for their prognostic value at tooth level. Multilevel regression analysis was performed for statistical analysis to identify factors contributing to tooth loss.

RESULTS

During SPT, 113 teeth (1.34 teeth per patient) were lost. Baseline bone loss, use as abutment tooth, tooth type, and maxillary location contributed significantly to tooth loss during SPT. Molars showed the highest risk for tooth loss after APT. Moreover, time of follow-up and the patient-related factor "educational status" significantly accounted for tooth loss at tooth level.

CONCLUSION

Baseline bone loss, abutment status, tooth location, and type as well as time of follow-up and educational status were detected as prognostic factors for tooth loss during SPT in patients with AgP at tooth level.

Compliance as a prognostic indicator. II. Impact of patient's compliance to the individual tooth survival

BACKGROUND

Existing evidence concerning the validity of an appropriate regular periodontal maintenance (PM) regimen and the role of patient compliance is controversial and inconsistent. The objectives of this study are to identify the impact of patient compliance (complete versus erratic) on alveolar bone loss and tooth survival.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted using data from 295 patients with >or=20 years of observation, which included treatment and >or=15 years of maintenance therapy, in a private practice in Yamagata, Japan. Subject-level variables and tooth-level variables were recorded at the initial visit, the reevaluation visit, and the final visit. In total, 7,502 teeth in 295 subjects met inclusion criteria and were divided into two groups: non-molar teeth (n = 5,585) and molar teeth (n = 1,917). A tooth-level multivariate survival model and multiple logistic regression model using the method of generalized estimating equations were constructed to analyze the effects of compliance and periodontal maintenance intervals on tooth loss and alveolar bone loss, respectively.

RESULTS

Of 7,502 teeth, 284 molar teeth and 364 non-molar teeth were lost. Molar teeth had an approximately 30% reduction in risk of tooth loss for complete compliance, with 2-year compliance classification achieving statistical significance (P = 0.033), and 30% compliance classification approaching statistical significance (P = 0.072). Complete compliers under 30% compliance classification showed over 50% reduction in the risk of alveolar bone loss among non-molars (P = 0.015).

CONCLUSION

Complete patient compliance with increased frequency of periodontal maintenance is important for improved dental prognosis through reduction of tooth loss among molars and minimization of alveolar bone loss among non-molars.

Association of total tooth loss with socio-behavioural health indicators in Korean elderly

This study examined the association between total tooth loss, and socio-behavioural factors and general health indicators in elderly Koreans using national databases. Cross-sectional data for this study were from the third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III), which was conducted among non-institutionalised civilians by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2005. KNHANES III used a stratified, multistage probability sampling design on a representative of total South Korean population, according to geographical areas, age and sex groups. Among them, 1091 subjects aged 65 years and above were identified as potential participants in this study. The dependent variable in this study was the self-reported total tooth loss. The independent variables consisted of the following four categories: demographic information, socio-behavioural factors, psychological factors and general health indicators. The data were weighted to adjust for the sampling complexity, and SPSS version 14 for Windows software was used for data analysis. There were significant differences in total tooth loss odds according to the socio-behavioural backgrounds (education and smoking), psychological conditions (perceived oral health) and general health status (diabetes and body mass index as underweight). This suggests that the total tooth loss is associated with the socio-economic status, health-related behaviour and general health. However, more extensive longitudinal data and research will be needed to better explain the relationship between the total tooth loss and these variables.