Analysis of periodontal status and need for treatment in cardiac patients <b>[Abstract in English]</b>

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate the periodontal status and treatment needs in cardiac patients attended at the Joao XXIII Hospital in Campina Grande, Paraiba State, Brazil. Methods: The study used an inductive non-probabilistic sample, consisting of 100 cardiac patients of both genders, aged forty years or more. The research instruments consisted of a questionnaire and a clinical form to record the World Health Organization Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs. We collected socio-demographic information, type of heart disease, presence of systemic diseases and oral hygiene. The periodontal examination was performed under adequate lighting, by a single examiner previously calibrated. Data were organized with the help of Epi Info 3.3.2 and presented using descriptive statistics. Results: Most patients were male (53%), married (74%), without formal education (35%) and had between 51-60 years (32%). It was found that 34% of admitted patients have suffered a myocardial infarction, while 42.9% reported being hypertensive. A percentage of 69% of the sample said they had gone to the dentist last for more than two years. Periodontal pockets greater than 3.5 mm was diagnosed in 34.3% of the sample and 53.1% of sextants presented dental calculus. Conclusions: The rate of clinical changes suggestive of periodontal disease was high in the studied cardiac patients.