Preservation of probing attachment and alveolar bone levels in 2 random population samples

The present study is an attempt to elucidate the relation between ageing and loss of periodontal tissue support, by studying the occurrence of probing attachment and alveolar bone loss in two samples of randomly selected individuals. The 1st sample was recruited in Japan and comprised 319 subjects aged 20-79 years. The 2nd sample was recruited in Sweden and comprised 192 subjects aged 30-65 years. All individuals underwent a radiographic and a comprehensive clinical examination, including recordings of probing attachment level. Within the 2 samples, subsamples of individuals whose periodontal status indicated minimal experience of destructive periodontal disease were selected. In these particular subsamples, it was revealed that a substantial proportion of tooth surfaces, also in older subjects, remained with no attachment or alveolar bone loss. To a lesser extent, this could be also observed when the entire samples were analyzed, despite the presence of abundant plaque and gingival inflammation. The results indicated that intact supporting periodontal tissues can be retained in subjects of increased age and corroborate the suggestion that loss of clinical attachment and alveolar bone is not an obligatory consequence of ageing.