Patient awareness of the association between periodontal and systemic diseases in an academic setting

Background

Periodontal diseases (PD) have been increasingly associated with several systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes mellitus (DM), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aimed to gain insight into patients’ awareness of the association between PD and systemic diseases.

Methods

A survey was developed to analyze patient awareness of the association between PD and systemic diseases. Descriptive and categorical variables were summarized with counts and percentages. Chi-squared tests were used to evaluate differences between variables. A linear logistical regression model was used to assess the simultaneous, independent association between each variable.

Results

Data from 161 completed surveys were analyzed. The majority of the participants (61.49%) reported awareness of symptoms of PD, but only 36.36% identified all its major symptoms. Individuals reporting awareness of the association between PD and systemic diseases was 48.4%, 31.7%, 14.9%, and 9.9% for CVD, DM, RA, and AD, respectively. Patients aged ≥51 years and males were more aware of the association between PD and CVD. Increased awareness of an association between PD and DM was observed among patients who had a higher frequency of dental visits and those with a self-reported history of DM.

Conclusions

This study provides insight that, even with the vast amount of scientific knowledge on the inter-relationships that exist between PD and systemic diseases, most patients are still unaware of these associations. This research identified that improvement of health literacy surrounding PD, their symptoms, and their association with systemic diseases may be warranted.