Bacterial profiles and Predisposing factors associated with periodontitis among adult patients attending Ruhengeri Referral Hospital, Rwanda: A cross sectional study

Abstract Background Periodontal disease is ranked the second oral health disorder following tooth decay. About 50% of the global adult population suffers from periodontal disease, making it one of the world’s most common disease. The study was carried out to assess the bacterial profiles and Predisposing factors associated with periodontitis among adult patients at Ruhengeri Referral Hospital. Methods This was a cross sectional study carried out between September 2021 and February 2022. A total of 102 participants were recruited for this study. Oral swab samples were collected with sterile cotton stick, and transported to INES Ruhengeri clinical microbiology laboratory for bacterial isolation and identification. Chi-square test was used to test for association, while logistic regression was used to test for the relationship between demographic characteristics and periodontitis. Results Periodontitis was prevalent in the age range of 40–49 years (24%) and the high morbidity was observed among females (68%) compared to males. The most predominant isolated microorganism was Lactobacillus spp. (10.43%). The logistic regression model showed that illiterate (p < 0.00001, 95% CI: 15.909–19.970), primary education level (p < 0.00001, 95% CI: 13.777–17.436), ordinary education level (p < 0.00001, 95% CI: 14.329–18.822), and urban residence (p = 0.018, 95CI: .318-3.422) were demographic characteristics that were significantly associated with periodontitis. The statistical significant association of predisposing factors with periodontitis was observed on smoking (p < 0.00001, 95% CI: 0.5971–0.8305), oral hygiene (p = 0.015, 95% CI: 0.2095–0.5563) and Oral medication (p < 0.00001, 95% CI: 0.2711–0.6049). Ciprofloxacin was the most effective antibiotic while Vancomycin was the least effective antibiotic to isolated bacteria. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most resistant among Gram-negative bacteria while Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most resistant bacteria among Gram-positive bacteria. Conclusion Periodontitis affected people of the age range between 40 years and 69 years, and females were the most affected by the disease. The patients should seek for a dentist when they present signs of periodontitis and early detection of the disease is recommended.