RESUMEN
Background/purpose: Information on the systemic medication profiles of patients with periodontitis is limited. Therefore, this retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the relationship between the severity and rate of progression of periodontitis and systemic medication intake using a database of patients who attended the Clinic of Periodontics of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Costa Rica. Methods: Electronic health records of patients diagnosed with periodontitis based on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions (2017) were evaluated. Individuals were further categorized based on the severity (stage) and rate of progression (grade). Data extracted from the patient records included age, sex, and self-reported medication intake. Results: In total, 930 records were included. Most of the studied population was middle-aged (36-64 years old); 43.01% were male, and 56.99% were female. Four hundred and fifty-seven patients (49.14%) reported taking at least one systemic medication for a chronic condition. Regarding the periodontal treatment phase, 62.37% underwent steps 1-3, and 37.63% underwent step 4. The most common systemic medications taken were for cardiovascular diseases (42.28%), followed by medications for diabetes (14.46%) and neurologic disorders (14.46%). Most patients (59.35%) were diagnosed with Stage III periodontitis. Grade B (48.28%) was the most prevalent. Calcium channel blockers demonstrated a disease severity-dependent association with the periodontal stage (p = 0.021). In addition, systemic medications for diabetes mellitus were associated with periodontal disease severity and rate of progression (all Ps < 0.05). Conclusions: This study provides indirect evidence of the association between systemic diseases and periodontitis. The positive association between medications used to treat diabetes and the severity and rate of progression of periodontitis may be due to the underlying disease rather than the medications per se.
RESUMEN
Abstract The aim was to determine the prevalence and types of the allergies present among dental professionals in Costa Rica. We performed a cross-sectional study on 664 dentists who completed a self-reported questionnaire. A descriptive cross-sectional study with inferential analysis was carried out. Dentists reported allergies prior to studying dentistry in 39% of cases, 36% reported chronic illnesses, and 61% of the dentists reported first-degree relatives with some type of allergic reaction. Different allergies had a similar prevalence among the dental professionals (ranging between 19%-26%), all allergic manifestations occurred within the first 120 minutes after exposure. The average time of exposure to dentistry-related environments was 16 years (95% CI) among all the dentists surveyed. There is a positive correlation between the presence of a chronic illness and the predisposition to develop allergic reactions among dentists. In addition, there is a directly proportional relationship between age, time of exposure to dental environments, and the risk of developing allergic conditions to dental materials. The main adverse reactions reported due to exposure to dental materials, medicines and/or food were gastrointestinal, skin, and respiratory problems.
Resumen El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la prevalencia y tipo de alergias presentes entre los odontólogos en Costa Rica. Se realizó un estudio transversal descriptivo en 664 dentistas que completaron un cuestionario, utilizando análisis inferencial para el procesamiento de los resultados. Los odontólogos reportaron alergias previo a estudiar odontología en un 39% de los casos, el 36% informó enfermedades crónicas y el 61% de los dentistas mencionó tener familiares en primer grado que habían presentado algún tipo de reacción alérgica. Diferentes tipos de alergias tuvieron una prevalencia similar entre los odontólogos (oscilando entre el 19% y el 26%), todas las manifestaciones alérgicas ocurrieron dentro de los primeros 120 minutos después de la exposición al alergeno. El tiempo medio de exposición a entornos relacionados con la odontología fue de 16 años (IC del 95%) entre todos los dentistas encuestados. Existe una correlación positiva entre la presencia de una enfermedad crónica y la predisposición a desarrollar reacciones alérgicas entre los dentistas. Además, existe una relación directamente proporcional entre edad, tiempo de exposición a entornos dentales, y el riesgo de desarrollar reacciones alérgicas a los materiales dentales. Las principales reacciones adversas notificadas posterior a la exposición a materiales dentales, medicamentos y/o alimentos fueron problemas gastrointestinales, cutáneos y respiratorios.