Periodontitis in individuals with atopic dermatitis

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) and periodontitis are chronic inflammatory diseases. To date, the periodontal status of AD patients remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence and severity of periodontitis in adults with AD and systemically healthy controls. Method: An observational pilot study was conducted including 23 patients with AD and 23 systemically healthy adults, recruited from Centro Internacional de Estudios Clínicos and the Dental Clinic of Universidad Andrés Bello. The diagnosis of AD was made by a dermatologist based on the medical history and physical examination. All patients received full-mouth periodontal examination and a complete evaluation of their oral hygiene habits. Results: Individuals with AD diagnosis presented mild, moderate and severe periodontitis in 33.33%, 38.10% and 28.57% respectively. Systemically healthy controls presented mild periodontitis in 80%, moderate periodontitis in 10% and severe periodontitis in 10%. Individuals with AD showed an increased risk of presenting moderate (OR: 9.14; 95% CI: 1.53-54.54; p = 0.015) or severe periodontitis (OR: 6.85; 95% CI: 1.09-42.75; p = 0.039) compared to controls. Conclusion: Subjects with AD presented a higher prevalence of moderate and severe periodontitis compared to systemically healthy controls.