January 2022

Several epidemiological studies have estimated periodontitis prevalence and distribution. In Brazil, national epidemiological surveys assessing the periodontal status of the population were conducted. Other regional studies have also used different methodologies. However, comparability of findings in different regions and in the country is yet to be addressed. This integrative review aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of periodontitis in Brazilian adults and summarize prevalence estimates of the disease in the country. Searches were performed in the electronic databases SciELO, LILACS, and PubMed. Cross-sectional studies that assessed the prevalence of periodontitis in adults (≥18 years) using a sample size of at least 100 individuals were selected. Twenty studies and three national surveys were included. All national surveys applied partial recording and used the community periodontal index. Only three studies assessed clinical attachment loss by full-mouth examination in regional representative samples. Considering only these well-designed studies, it is estimated that periodontitis may affect more than 50% of the population; higher than other developed countries. However, the analyzed literature does not allow a real estimate of the prevalence of periodontitis in Brazil due to great methodological drawbacks. We recommend that new studies use well-designed approaches, including full-mouth assessment, and adopt internationally recognized disease definitions.