Gender, age may affect nonsurgical periodontal therapy outcomes

Older adults and men may experience worse outcomes after nonsurgical periodontal treatment (NSPT), suggesting the need for tailored treatment approaches for these patients. This analysis was published on April 25 in Scientific Reports.  

Additionally, older individuals and males appeared to exhibit greater clinical attachment level (CAL) values, while older age was linked to higher probing depth (PD) values, suggesting age and sex affects both factors despite nonsurgical gum disease treatment, the authors wrote.

"The increased prevalence and/or severity of periodontitis in older adults and males suggests that they represent higher-risk vulnerable categories of patients with periodontitis," wrote the authors, led by Dr. Nikola Angelov, PhD, of the University of Texas (UT) Health Science Center at Houston.  

To explore associations between demographic factors, systemic diseases, and periodontal health, the authors analyzed data from UT dental school's electronic health records for 2,866 patients.

In the analysis, older age was linked independently to changes in PD size between baseline and reevaluation. Specifically, for subjects age 65 and above, the magnitude of the difference decreased compared to those ages 18 to 34. Age and sex were both associated with CAL and PD categories at reevaluation when not adjusting for potential confounders, they wrote.  

The proportion of subjects ages 35 to 64 or 65 and above was higher in the CAL ≥ 5 mm category, and the proportion of those ages 35 to 64 was higher in the PD ≥ 6 mm category compared to other CAL and PD categories, respectively. Additionally, males comprised a greater proportion of those that had a CAL of  ≥ 5 mm and a PD of ≥ 6 mm compared to other CAL and PD categories, respectively, the authors wrote.

However, the study had limitations, such as the authors' reliance on a single center database. To address this, a multicenter study that includes dental databases from other U.S. dental schools is currently underway, they added.

"These results suggest more compromised post-NSPT outcomes in older adults and males compared to the respective populations and highlight the need for personalized therapeutic strategies in these populations," Angelov et al concluded.