Trends and burden of periodontal disease in South Asia: insights from the Global Burden of Disease, 2011–2021

Periodontal disease is a major public health concern across South Asia. We aimed to assess trends and the burden of periodontal disease in South Asian countries using Global Burden of Disease data,2011–2021. This ecological study used the Global Burden of Disease 2021 dataset for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. All age incidence, prevalence, and DALYs rate per 100,000 were extracted, and temporal trends were evaluated using Joinpoint regression to calculate the Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from 2011 to 2021. Nepal showed the most substantial increase in periodontal disease burden, with prevalence rising from 14,532.7 to 17,901.2 per 100,000 and DALYs from 208.4 to 247.9 per 100,000 (AAPC: +2.3%; 95% CI: 1.8–2.8). Bangladesh and Bhutan exhibited moderate increases, while India showed a steady increase in prevalence (AAPC: +0.9%; 95% CI: 0.5–1.2). Pakistan had relatively stable trends, with a marginal decline in incidence (AAPC: − 0.3%; 95% CI: − 0.5 to − 0.1). Across all countries, females consistently had higher incidence and prevalence rates than males. The periodontal disease burden is increasing across South Asia, with notable country-specific variations and the steepest rise observed in Nepal. Enhancing public health initiatives/ preventive programs, improving oral healthcare access, and implementing targeted preventive measures to mitigate the growing impact of periodontal disease in the region.