Large, general population-based data on carriage rates of periodontal pathogens hardly exist in the current literature. The objectives of the present study were to examine the salivary detection of Aggregatibacter (formerly Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans, Campylobacter rectus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythensis, and Treponema denticola in a representative sample of the adult population living in southern Finland and to clarify which determinants are associated with the presence of these pathogens in saliva. 16S rRNA-based PCR methods with species-specific primers were employed to determine the presence of the six target bacteria in stimulated saliva samples, which were available from 1,294 subjects aged >30 years. The age group, gender, level of education, marital status, smoking history, number of teeth, and number of teeth with deepened pockets were included in the statistical analysis. In general, the carriage of periodontal pathogens was common, since at least one of the examined pathogens was found in 88.2% of the subjects. In descending order, the total detection rates were 56.9%, 38.2%, 35.4%, 31.3%, 20.0%, and 13.9% for T. forsythensis, T. denticola, P. gingivalis, C. rectus, A. actinomycetemcomitans, and P. intermedia, respectively. Age per se was strongly associated with the carriage of P. gingivalis (P ‫؍‬ 0.000), and the level of education with that of T. denticola (P ‫؍‬ 0.000). There was an association between the number of teeth with deepened pockets and carriage of P. gingivalis (P ‫؍‬ 0.000), P. intermedia (P ‫؍‬ 0.000), T. denticola (P ‫؍‬ 0.000), and A. actinomycetemcomitans (P ‫؍‬ 0.004). The data suggest that distinct species have a different carriage profile, depending on variables such as age, educational level, and periodontal status.Periodontitis is characterized by local infection and inflammation of tooth-supporting tissues, leading to various degrees of periodontal attachment loss in affected teeth. Different forms of periodontitis are multifactorial diseases where microorganisms present in dental biofilms are involved. Etiologic bacteria of periodontal diseases typically include gram-negative anaerobic bacteria: among those, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythensis (formerly Bacteroides forsythus), and Treponema denticola are strictly anaerobic and Aggregatibacter (formerly Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans and Campylobacter rectus are facultative/microaerobic (2,4,13,33). Several demographic and behavioral characteristics, such as race, age, gender, and smoking, as well as socioeconomic status, appear to be related to the prevalence of periodontitis, as shown in different populations worldwide (1). It may be expected that similar factors relate to the carriage pattern of periodontitis-associated microorganisms in similar ways as well. For example, the cumulative increase of periodontitis due to aging could be reflected by the increasing carriage of periodontal pathogen(s). As far as we know, natural car...

All the 1012, 55-yr-old citizens of Oulu (a medium-sized Finnish town) were invited to a clinical examination, and 780 of them participated. The associations of lifestyle with periodontal health were analyzed in the 527 dentate subjects. Periodontal pockets deeper than 3 mm were recorded as a percentage of the surfaces at risk. Lifestyle was measured by questions about dietary habits, smoking habits, alcohol consumption and physical activity. Lifestyle had an independent association with periodontal health. Periodontal pocketing increased with an unhealthier lifestyle. Lifestyle could explain some of the social and sex differences in periodontal health.

There was similar support for the lifecourse models of critical period, accumulation and social trajectories. They collectively contribute to a better understanding of oral health inequalities.

According to the present results, an evident association exists between the carriage of the T-containing genotype of CD14(-260) and the GG genotype of IL-6(-174) and the extent periodontal disease.

Only a few studies have examined the association of metabolic syndrome with periodontal infection and dental caries. The aim in this study was to examine the association of metabolic syndrome with periodontal infection and dental caries using the European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR) definition and its separate components. This study population consisted of dentate, non-diabetic individuals aged 30 to 64 years (N = 2050) who had never smoked. Relative risks (RR) were estimated with Poisson regression models. Metabolic syndrome was associated with teeth with deepened periodontal pockets 4 mm deep or deeper [adjusted RR 1.19 (95% CI 1.01-1.42)], with pockets 6 mm deep or deeper [adjusted RR 1.50 (95% CI 0.96-2.36)], and carious teeth [adjusted RR 1.25 (95% CI 0.93-1.70)]. The results suggest that metabolic syndrome or some of its components are associated weakly with periodontal infection.