Bone height changes in individuals with periodontal disease:: a 17-year prospective longitudinal study

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse changes in bone height after 17 years in smokers and non-smokers with periodontal disease, and to compare these with clinical assessment outcome. Material and Methods: Participants comprised 50 adults with periodontitis and 18 healthy controls from a randomly selected epidemiological sample. Their mean age at the end of the study was 54.2 (SD +/- 3.09) years. The study included radiographic analysis compared with clinical data. Results: The periodontitis group had significantly (p < 0.001) higher values than their healthy counterparts for plaque index (PLI), gingival index (GI), calculus index (CI), and bleeding on probing (BOP) at baseline and after 17 years. At the end of the follow-up, never-smokers with periodontitis had higher values for PLI (p < 0.05) and ex-smokers and smokers had higher GI and BOP (p < 0.001) than the controls. In all individuals with periodontitis, maxillary molars were most affected. Smokers had more severe marginal bone loss over time. Vertical bone defects were more often seen on the mesial side of teeth (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Marginal bone level in this prospective study did reveal tooth groups at higher risk for progression of periodontal disease.