Knowledge of Periodontitis and Its Relation to Periodontal Health

Plain-language summary

This study aims to evaluate the level of knowledge regarding periodontal disease and its association with periodontal health status among health sciences students. An observational, cross-sectional, analytical, and comparative design will be conducted involving two cohorts: final-year Dentistry students and Psychology students from the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC). A total of approximately 60 participants (30 per group) will be recruited using stratified random sampling. Eligible participants must be at least 18 years old and provide written informed consent. Students who have received periodontal treatment within the previous six months, present uncontrolled systemic diseases, or are pregnant or breastfeeding will be excluded. Data collection will take place during a single clinical visit between January and April 2026 and will consist of two phases. First, participants will complete a validated Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) questionnaire assessing understanding of periodontitis, attitudes toward oral health, and daily oral hygiene behaviors. Knowledge scores will be categorized into low, medium, and high levels. Second, a comprehensive periodontal examination will be performed by a certified periodontist under standardized conditions, including plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing depth, gingival margin position, clinical attachment loss, and radiographic assessment. Periodontal status will be classified according to the 2018 EFP/AAP classification system using staging and grading criteria. The primary outcome is the presence of periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis). The main independent variable is the level of knowledge about periodontitis. Covariates include age, sex, oral hygiene habits, smoking status, perceived stress, and self-reported systemic conditions. Statistical analysis will be conducted using SPSS, Stata, or R software. Descriptive statistics will summarize participant characteristics. Bivariate analyses will assess associations between knowledge level and periodontal disease using chi-square tests and appropriate parametric or non-parametric comparisons. Multivariate binary logistic regression will be applied to evaluate whether lower knowledge levels are independently associated with a higher prevalence of periodontal disease, adjusting for relevant covariates. Statistical significance will be set at p \< 0.05. The study will be conducted following ethical approval from the UIC Research Ethics Committee. Participation will be voluntary, confidentiality will be ensured through anonymized data handling, and participants diagnosed with periodontal disease will be referred for appropriate periodontal care.

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