Background:Periodontitis is one of the major reasons for tooth loss in adults. India, with a population of over 1 billion, is bound to become a developed nation soon. This transition will require a population that is healthy, including in terms of periodontal health. Early studies done in India gave an indication that the population is highly susceptible to periodontitis.Aim:This paper reviews the prevalence of periodontitis in the Indian population.Settings and Design:Review of periodontitis prevalence studies on the Indian population.Materials and Methods:After identifying articles from PubMed and hand searching, the epidemiology of periodontitis is reviewed together with the case definition, study settings, type of population, age and other factors as all these are bound to affect the prevalence rates determined in various studies.Statistical Analysis:None.Results:This review identifies very limited number of studies that provide prevalence data and faces difficulty in comparing various studies due to nonstandardization of case definition and use of nonrepresentative samples. There is a high prevalence of periodontitis among the adults and the economically weak population.Conclusions:There is a very urgent need for standardized population-based studies with a robust design to identify the true prevalence of periodontitis, which in turn will help in planning oral health policies and creating the necessary infrastructure.

Objectives: Attached gingiva is important for maintaining periodontium in a healthy state. The present study tries to find the normal values of width of attached gingiva in a periodontally healthy Indian population. Material and Methods: The width of attached gingiva was measured with a periodontal probe in periodontally healthy patients attending the periodontics department. Descriptive statistical analysis was done to get the mean, which will represent the normal values of width of attached gingiva for the population. Results: Female patients had a greater width than males and the 20 to 30 year old group had the greatest width of attached gingiva. The mean values of attached gingiva varied in different areas of the mouth with greatest width in maxillary central incisors and least in mandibular molars. Conclusion: Width of attached gingiva varies with age, gender and in different areas of the mouth.

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Introduction: Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Periodontal disease is caused by predominantly anaerobic gram negative bacteria. Microbial substances initiate and perpetuate the inflammation resulting in the production of high levels of proinflammatory cytokines and hyperactivity of white blood cells and of blood platelets, thus promoting the development of hyperlipidemia. Objective: To evaluate the plasma lipids (Total cholesterol, Low Density Lipoproteins and Triglycerides) as well as Fasting blood glucose levels in non diabetic, non-obese periodontal disease patients and controls. Materials and methods: 18 subjects with chronic periodontal disease (aged 38 to 50 years) were matched for age, sex and BMI (Body Mass Index) with 18 healthy subjects. Total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, triglycerides and fasting blood glucose levels were measured using routine enzymatic biochemical methods. Results: Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides was significantly higher in chronic periodontitis patients by 12% ( p<0.02), 14% ( p<0.03) and 22% ( p<0.03) respectively as compared to controls. Fasting blood glucose levels was higher by 7% (p<0.04) in chronic periodontitis patients than controls. Conclusion: Hyperlipidemia and prediabetic state may be associated with chronic periodontitis. Key words: chronic periodontitis; plasma lipids; body mass index; fasting blood glucose. DOI: 10.3329/bjms.v9i2.5657Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.09 No.2 Apr 2010 pp.95-100