Using Dental Register Information and Questionnaire Data to Assess Periodontitis in Large Cohort Studies

Authors

• Peter Persson
• Magnus Bladh
• Stanley Teleka
• Aleksandar Milosavljevic
• Nils Gustafsson
• Eva Levring Jäghagen
• Björn Klinge
• Kushan De Silva
• Niko Vähäsarja
• Kåre Buhlin
• Peter Nilsson
• Marju Orho-Melander
• Olle Melander
• Aron Naimi-Akbar
• Daniel Jönsson

Language

English

Publication Date

11-1-2025

Journal

Journal of Clinical Periodontology

DOI

10.1111/jcpe.70015

PMID

40827525

PMCID

PMC12531359

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

8-19-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

Aim: Periodontitis proxy variables enable an expansion of periodontal research. The study aimed to estimate the validity of questionnaire items and registry data in relation to Stage III-IV periodontitis and having 50% bone loss.

Methods: Malmö Offspring Dental Study (MODS) participants (995) filled out questionnaires and underwent periodontal and panoramic radiography examinations. The questionnaire items, number of periodontal treatment procedures (PTP) in the Dental Health Register (DHR), and number of teeth with ≥ 6 mm probing depth in the Swedish Quality Register for Caries and Periodontal Disease (SKaPa) were evaluated as proxies for severe periodontitis. Stage III-IV periodontitis was the primary reference standard.

Results: For PTP-based severe periodontitis proxy in DHR, positive predictive value (PPV) was 88% and negative predictive value (NPV) 87% for Stage III-IV. The SKaPa-based proxy showed poor positive predictive values (PPVs, < 70%), but similar area under the curve (AUC), 0.74, compared with the DHR data (AUC 0.76). Sensitivity was < 70%, and specificity > 90% for the DHR and SKaPa proxies. Identification of cases with periodontitis by questionnaire combined with the demographic variables age, sex, smoking habits and education yielded good discriminatory ability (AUC > 0.75).

Conclusion: Register-based data can effectively identify individuals with severe periodontitis in large cohort studies, thereby advancing periodontal research.

Keywords

Humans, Periodontitis, Male, Female, Registries, Surveys and Questionnaires, Middle Aged, Sweden, Cohort Studies, Adult, Educational Status, Alveolar Bone Loss, Smoking, Radiography, Panoramic, Sensitivity and Specificity, Age Factors, Sex Factors, Aged, Periodontal Pocket, Dental Health Register, epidemiology, periodontitis, self‐reported, Swedish Quality Register for Caries and Periodontal Disease

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Persson, Peter; Bladh, Magnus; Teleka, Stanley; et al., "Using Dental Register Information and Questionnaire Data to Assess Periodontitis in Large Cohort Studies" (2025). Faculty, Staff and Students Publications. 8606.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/8606