Aim: The objective was to assess whether there was a social gradient in periodontal status by job classification in Japanese male workers.
Material and methods: Study participants were 15,803 Japanese male workers aged 20-69 years. There were seven groups classified by jobs. Oral examinations were conducted using community periodontal index (CPI).
Results: The percentages of sextants with a CPI score of 3 or 4 of professionals were significantly lower than for other job classes. The gradient also existed for the percentage of sextants with CPI score 4. After adjusting for age, a history of diabetes mellitus and smoking status, those lower on the gradient, namely, drivers, service occupations, salespersons and managers were 2.0, 1.5, 1.4 and 1.4, times, respectively more likely to have one or more sextants with CPI score 3 or 4 compared with professionals. Odds ratios of having more than one or more sextants with CPI score 4 after adjusting for age, clinical history of diabetes mellitus and smoking status for drivers, service occupations, salespersons and managers were 2.1, 1.5, 1.5 and 1.2, respectively, compared with professionals.
Conclusions: There was a gradient in periodontal status by job classification. Professional and office workers had better periodontal status than salespersons, service occupations and drivers.