PROFILES OF DESTRUCTIVE PERIODONTAL-DISEASE IN DIFFERENT POPULATIONS

In this study we evaluated the traditional view that the severity of p eriodontal disease varies between populations in that African and Asia n populations are more severely affected than other populations. Our d ata on periodontal destruction in two random samples of a Kenyan and a Chinese adult population were recalculated to conform with the method s of examination and data presentation utilized in each of 6 other stu dies of attachment loss levels in different populations. The adult Ken yan and the adult Chinese group, who had very poor oral hygiene condit ions and massive gingival inflammation, had attachment loss levels whi ch were quite similar to those in a Japanese population (31), in a Nor wegian population (27) and in a New Mexico group of adults (30). Attac hment losses were similar in a population of young US adults (26) aged between 35 and 60 years relative to the corresponding Kenyan and Chin ese groups while young US citizens had higher and elderly US citizens had lower mean attachment levels than either Kenyans or Chinese. Highe r attachment loss levels beyond the age of 27 years were reported for a population of Sri Lankan tamil tea workers (27) and across all ages in two South Pacific island populations (29). Overall, the analysis in dicates that the periodontal attachment loss profiles may differ betwe en populations, but that these differences do not conform with the tra ditional generalization that African and Asian populations suffer more severe periodontal breakdown than other populations.