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Abstract

Objectives: Edentulism is a debilitating condition with a multifactorial etiology, serving as a terminal marker for oral disease. The aim of this study was to examine the risk factors, as well as associated comorbidities, in an edentulous group younger than fifty years of age at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.Methods: Data from the Dental Registry and DNA Repository (DRDR) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine were analyzed and included 5,392 records. Studied risk factors included smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, HIV+ status, depression/psychiatric illness, number of medications being taken, ethnicity, sex, education, employment, and body mass index (BMI). Of the total records, 100 individuals were included in the study for being completely edentulous and younger than fifty years old.Result: Smoking prevalence was 73% among all 100 individuals. Hypertension, diabetes, and HIV+ prevalence were 26%, 13%, and 5%, respectively.41% of 68 individuals reported a current or history of depression/psychiatric illness. Of 67 individuals, 55% reported taking three or more medications, 32.8% reported taking five or more, and 22.4% taking seven or more. Of