Evaluation of the Association Between Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Periodontal Health and Disease

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an inammatory disease characterized by the accelerating deterioration of pulmonary function and increasing airway obstruction including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Respiratory infection is speculated to build in part, rstly by aspiration of oropharyngeal bacterial ora into the lower respiratory tract where they accumulate and proliferate to develop infection and secondly, failure of host defence system to eradicate these harmful bacteria. Aim and Objectives: To nd out the association between the chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases using pulmonary function test and the periodontal health and disease using various periodontal parameters. Materials and method: 100 patients diagnosed with COPD were taken as test group and 100 patients diagnosed non-COPD were the relatives of the COPD patients. Periodontal parameters including Oral Hygiene Index Simplied (OHI-S), Pocket Probing Depth (PPD), Gingival Recession (REC) and Clinical Attachment Loss (CAL) were recorded. Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 17. Results: The mean PPD (in mm) among COPD and Non-COPD participants was 5.06±0.86 and 3.61±0.78 respectively. Study result showed statistically highly signicant difference in the mean PPD which is more in COPD participants compared to Non-COPD participants. Statistically signicant difference was found in the mean REC which is more in COPD participants compared to Non-COPD participants. The mean CAL (in mm) among COPD and Non-COPD participants was 6.89±1.06 and 4.53±1.41 respectively. Statistically highly signicant difference was seen in the mean CAL which is more in COPD participants compared to Non-COPD participants. The mean OHI-S (in mm) among COPD and Non-COPD participants was 2.46±0.33 and 2.37±0.32 respectively. Study result showed there wasn’t any statistical difference in the mean OHI-S among COPD participants when compared to Non-COPD participants. Conclusion: From the present study it can be concluded that oral bacteria, poor oral hygiene and periodontitis seem to inuence the incidence of COPD in high risk patients. Periodontal disease was signicantly associated with reduced lung function and airow limitation in an adult population. However, large cohort studies with long observation periods evaluating comprehensive lung function parameters are needed to validate the observed associations and to assess causality more closely.