Periodontal condition and recurrence of periodontitis associated with alcohol consumption in periodontal maintenance therapy

BACKGROUND: This study followed individuals in periodontal maintenance therapy (PMT) over 6 years and longitudinally evaluated the effects of the frequency of alcohol consumption on the recurrence of periodontitis (RP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: From a 6-year follow-up cohort study with 268 individuals under PMT, 142 patients who attended at least one PMT visit within 12 months were determined to be eligible. Based on their alcohol consumption, participants were categorized into 3 groups: none or occasional alcohol use (NA; n=88), moderate alcohol use (MA; n=26) and intense alcohol use (IA; n=24). Complete periodontal examination and alcohol consumption were evaluated at 2 times, T1 (after active periodontal therapy) and T2 (6 years). RESULTS: The frequencies of RP in the NA, MA and IA groups were 46.5%, 57.6%, and 79.1%, respectively. The following variables were significantly associated with RP in final multivariate logistic regression model: age >50 years old (OR = 1.79; 95%CI 1.42-2.91; p=0.002), current smoking (OR = 2.42; 95%CI 1.33-4.31; p=0.001), and intensive alcohol use (OR = 1.96; 95%CI: 1.37-2.64; p=0.024). Interaction between intensive alcohol use and smoking showed a high OR estimate of 3.15 (95%CI 1.29-6.32) for RP. CONCLUSIONS: IA individuals undergoing PMT presented worse periodontal condition, higher rates of RP and tooth loss when compared to NA individuals. Additionally, the interaction between intensive alcohol use and smoking significantly increased the risk for RP. Key words:Periodontitis, alcohol consumption, maintenance, epidemiology.