Dental caries and risk indicators for patients with leprosy in China.

BACKGROUND: In leprosy, oral health is often neglected and poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and risk indicators of dental caries in patients with leprosy in China. METHODS: This cross-sectional, multicentre study included 613 patients with leprosy and 602 control subjects. Based on the established standards of the World Health Organization, we investigated dental caries in cluster samplings from six so-called 'leprosy villages' in three Chinese provinces. Clinical oral examinations were performed and data were reported as decayed (D), missing (M) and filled (F) teeth (DMFT scores). RESULTS: The average DMFT scores were 10.39 in patients with leprosy (D = 4.43; M = 5.94; and F = 0.02) and 4.39 in control individuals (D = 2.29; M = 2.02; F = 0.08). The DMFT scores were statistically significantly different in patients with different ages, educational backgrounds and daily brushing frequency (P < 0.05). High DMFT scores were related to age, low educational levels and poor toothbrushing habits. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that patients with leprosy have a high prevalence of severe dental caries. Effective therapy and oral health education should be enhanced for this group of patients.

Some risk factors for the progression of periodontal disease.

Inflammatory periodontal disease is one of the most common diseases of mankind. Gingival inflammation is widespread, but advanced periodontitis is limited to relatively small subgroups of the population. Gingivitis is initiated by microbial plaque deposits on the dento-gingival interface but progression to periodontitis is modified by several environmental, behavioural, biological and health care variables. This paper reviews the reports dealing with some risk factors for periodontal disease published in recent years and compares the data with findings in a Ljubljana population. It is concluded that male smokers with lower education and low frequency of tooth brushing represent a risk population for progression of periodontal disease. Marital status and body mass need further study to be proved as risk factors for periodontitis. A socioecological model proposed by Hansen et al. (1993) should be used for understanding the interplay of different risk factors for progression of periodontal disease.