Baltic Dental and Maxillofacial Journal
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2003, Vol. 5, No. 3

CONTENTS

Biological Response to Dental Implant Loading / Overloading. Implant Overloading: Empiricism or Science?

Pecularities of Generation of Superoxide Anion of Peripheral Blood Leukocytes in Periodontitis

Magnetic Resonance Evaluation Between the Relationship of the Temporomandibular Joint Disk and condylar Head Displacement

The prevalence of gingivitis among 4-16 year old schoolchildren in Kaunas

New Acid Etched Titanium Dental Implant Surface

Health Behaviour among Students of Kaunas Universities: Dental Health and Oral Hygiene

Rostock - Riga Symposium 2003. Abstracts 230 KB

© 2003, Stomatologija

Stomatologija 2003; 5 (3): 97-100 180 KB

The prevalence of gingivitis among 4-16 year old schoolchildren in Kaunas

Jurate Pauraite, Simona Milciuviene, J.Sakalauskiene

Summary

The objective of this study is to investigate the incidence of gingivitis and periodontitis among schoolchildren of 6 - 14 years old in Kaunas City.

The state of oral hygiene and incidence of periodontitis was evaluated among 89 schoolchildren between 6-8 years old, 86 schoolchildren between 9-11 years old and 75 schoolchildren between 12-14 years old.

After investigating and evaluating the degree of severity of gingivitis among the schoolchildren, it was stated that benign (light) gingivitis constitutes periodontal lesions among more than half (59,6%) of the schoolchildren, at the age of 6-8 years old, 34,9% at the age of 9-10 years old, and 46,7 % at the age of 12-14 years old. Medium degree of severity of gingivitis was diagnosed only to a very small number of all examined (9,2%).

Evaluating the connection between the incidence of gingivitis and the state of oral hygiene, benign gingivitis was diagnosed to almost half (47,1%) of the examined and gingivitis of medium severity was diagnosed to 44,1% of the examined. However, no periodontal lesion was diagnosed for the majority of schoolchildren with efficient oral hygiene (98,2%).

Trying to improve the health of the oral cavity among schoolchildren, it is necessary to form efficient habits of oral hygiene, combining the efforts of dentists, oral hygienists, teachers, parents and schoolchildren themselves.

Keywords: schoolchildren, prevalence,periodontitis, oral hygiene.

Address correspondence to J.Pauraite, Clinic of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Kaunas Medical University, Luksos Daumanto Str. 6, Kaunas 3000, Lithuania

Received: 22 08 2003

Accepted for publishing: 27 09 2003