The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) was recently invited to provide testimony to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Oral Health as part of the strategic planning process for 2011 through 2014.
The AAP's testimony called for the CDC to prioritize resources to analyze and validate the results of the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, which includes self-report questions on periodontal health and a complete periodontal examination. Such an analysis would be vital in establishing a baseline measure of the periodontal health status of the U.S. population, according to the AAP.
The AAP testimony also recommends that the AAP and CDC, along with other stakeholder organizations, partner to promote public awareness of periodontal disease prevalence in the U.S. and raise awareness of the importance of periodontal health in achieving overall health.
Results of a prepilot of the surveillance program indicate that the incidence of periodontal disease may be two to three times higher than previous estimates.
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