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QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged 20--64 Years with Periodontitis,* by Smoking Status and Sex --- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 1988--1994 and 1999--2004

* Based on the CDC and American Academy of Periodontology definition of moderate and severe periodontitis.

^† 95% confidence interval.

^§ Defined as persons who reported smoking cigarettes currently.

^¶ Defined as persons who reported that they had smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime but no longer smoked.

** Defined as persons who reported never smoking.

Although the overall prevalence of moderate and severe periodontitis declined substantially among adults aged 20--64 years, from nearly 10% during 1988--1994 to 5% during 1999--2004, current smokers continued to be nearly five times as likely to have periodontitis compared with nonsmokers. Approximately 19% of current smokers had periodontitis during 1988--1994, compared with 4% of nonsmokers. The prevalence of periodontitis decreased substantially for all adults regardless of smoking status to 11% for smokers and 2% for nonsmokers during 1999--2004. Likewise, periodontitis decreased regardless of sex, and men remained twice as likely to have periodontitis as women.

SOURCES: Page RL, Eke PI. Case definition for use in population-based surveillance of periodontitis. J Periodontol 2007;78:1387--99.

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988--2004. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm.

Dye BA, Tan S, Smith V, et al. Trends in oral health status: United States, 1988--1994 and 1999--2004. Vital Health Stat 2007;11(248). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_11/sr11_248.pdf.

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Date last reviewed: 3/12/2009

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
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