Frequency and Profile of Severe Periodontitis in Kinshasa Dental Hospitals, DR Congo

Abstract

Purpose: Severe periodontitis (SP) is the sixth most prevalent disease worldwide. Prevalence and incidence are poorly reported in DR Congo. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of SP and to compare its profile with that of mild to moderate periodontitis (MMP). Materials and Methods: Four hundred and four patients from four hospitals of Kinshasa City Capital participated in this study. Probing pocket depth (PPD) at six sites per tooth, bleeding on probing (BoP) and plaque index (PIl) were the main clinical parameters assessed. Results: Out of 404 patients examined in this study, 92 (22.8%) had severe periodontitis and 276 (68.3%) had mild to moderate periodontitis. Among patients with SP, 48 (52%) were female, 44 (48%) were male and 63% of them had a PPD of 6 mm. SP was significantly different from MMP according to patients age, 47.3 ± 18.6 versus 32.87 ± 14.40 years old, p < 0.001; plaque index, 1.153 ± 0.39 versus 0.90 ± 0.39, p < 0.001; BoP, 26.65 versus 17.04, p < 0.001. Conclusion: The Frequency of SP is relatively high in patients attending dental services in Kinshasa City and SP is significantly different from MMP.