The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between
clinical parameters and periodontitis in a population receiving no reg
ular prophylactic dental care. From a sample of 164 adult rural and ur
ban Tanzanian subjects aged between 30 and 44 years, 16% were identifi
ed with periodontitis according to the criteria that at least three te
eth had a probing depth greater than or equal to 6 mm. Subjects with p
eriodontitis in this sample exhibited a much higher bleeding tendency
(at sites where periodontal pockets did not exist) than subjects witho
ut periodontitis, but dental plaque scores were comparable. Sensitivit
y and specificity values and odds ratios indicated a strong associatio
n between bleeding on probing and the presence of periodontitis. This
may indicate that people from a population deprived of regular dental
care with a high tendency of bleeding on probing are more prone to dev
elop periodontitis. Whether bleeding on probing could serve as a marke
r in this population to identify subjects who develop future periodont
al destruction has to be explored through further longitudinal studies
.