Incidence of periodontal attachment loss over 5 years among older South Australians

The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.comObjectives: This study described the 5-year incidence of periodontal attachment loss (ALOSS) among older Australians. Material and method: Clinical examination data were obtained at baseline and 5 years from participants in a cohort study of South Australians aged 60+. Periodontal measurements (gingival recession, GR; probing depth, PD) were made for each tooth at 3 sites. An incident case of ALOSS was identified as an individual having 2+ sites with 3+ mm ALOSS. Results: Some 342 (42.7%) of the 801 individuals examined at baseline were re-examined after 5 years, contributing longitudinal data from a total of 15,522 sites (6102 in the maxilla and 9420 in the mandible). Most sites showed no change in either GR or PD. Using a threshold of 3+ mm for change, ALOSS occurred at 2.3% of mesiobuccal sites, 2.5% of buccal sites, and 3.4% of distolingual sites. Distolingual sites on molars showed the highest progression rates. The major component of ALOSS was increased GR. Overall, only 10.1% of the observed ALOSS was contributed by increases in PD. Nearly two-thirds of the sites that experienced ALOSS had