Award Date
5-15-2026
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Dental Medicine
First Committee Member
Linh Nguyen
Second Committee Member
Tanya Al-Talib
Third Committee Member
Charles Hill
Fourth Committee Member
Arpita Basu
Number of Pages
54
Abstract
Background
Periodontitis and sleep disorders are chronic inflammatory conditions with significant systemic implications, and emerging evidence suggests a potential bidirectional relationship between them. Despite this connection, sleep disorders, particularly obstructive sleep apnea, remain widely underdiagnosed. Understanding the gap between patient-reported sleep disturbances and clinician-diagnosed sleep disorders may help strengthen screening and referral practices in both dental and medical settings.
Methods
A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the 2009-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Two sleep-related question items identified participants who self-reported sleep trouble and those who reported receiving a clinician-diagnosed sleep disorder. Periodontal status was determined using clinical attachment loss and probing depth measurements. Eight covariates—periodontitis, gender, age, ethnicity, sleep duration, smoking status, education level, and income—were analyzed using the test of proportions, chi-square test of independence, and McNemar’s test. NHANES sample weights were applied to represent the number of individuals in the United States population.
Results
Self-reported sleep disturbances occurred at substantially higher rates than clinician-diagnosed sleep disorders among individuals with periodontitis. Significant differences in symptom reporting were observed across periodontal condition, gender, age group, ethnicity, sleep duration, and education level. Among participants reporting a clinician-diagnosed sleep disorder, significant differences were found based on ethnicity, sleep duration, and education level. A notable diagnostic gap emerged: 22% of participants reported sleep difficulties, whereas only 9% reported receiving a formal diagnosis.
Conclusion
A considerable discrepancy exists between patient-perceived sleep disturbances and cliniciandiagnosed sleep disorders among individuals with periodontitis, indicating under-recognition of sleep-related conditions in this population. Strengthening patient and clinician education, increasing vigilance for sleep-related symptoms, and incorporating demographic and behavioral risk factors into screening practices may help reduce underdiagnosis and support earlier identification of individuals at elevated risk for obstructive sleep apnea.
Keywords
NHANES; obstructive sleep apnea; orthodontics; periodontics; sleep disorders; sleep questionnaire
Disciplines
Dentistry | Medical Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences | Public Health
File Format
File Size
1149 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Repository Citation
Le, Tommy, "Clinical Need For Sleep Disorder Screening Among Periodontitis Patients-An Analysis of NHANES 2009-2014" (2026). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 5572.
https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations/5572
Rights
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