Prevalence of puberty gingivitis among 9-15 year old children living in the UAE
Date
2011
DOI
Authors
Faraz, Shahnaz
Version
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
The objective of this study was to record epidemiological data of gingivitis in 9-15 year old children living in the U.A.E and thus contribute knowledge to the existing oral health status of the children living in the region. 165 children were enrolled after scanning for inclusion and exclusion criteria. All subjects were between 9-15 years of age, both boys and girls who were in good health. The consent was provided by their parents/guardians. The parents also completed two survey forms which collected details of their medical history and the demographic details of the sampled population. The examiners carried out evaluations at school using disposable mirror, probe and torch light. Gingival Index (GI) and Plaque Index (PI) were done to measure the extent and severity of gingivitis and plaque. Chi square Fisher’s Exact test was carried out to find the percentage of gingivitis and demographic details of the population and its relation to gingivitis. Significant relation was found between the extent of plaque and the severity of gingivitis. 98.1% of the children experienced gingivitis of varying severity. Higher the plaque score, greater the gingivitis experience (p[less than]0.005). This finding was irrespective of gender. The oral hygiene in boys was seen to be poorer than the girls without any statistical significance.
Significant relation was also found between the severity of gingivitis and the frequency of dental visits (p[less than]0.005). It was seen that children who visited the dentist biannually seemed to have milder gingivitis when compared to children who visited the dentist in cases of emergency or only when the parents considered necessary. Trends of an age related increase in gingivitis was seen among the sampled population. The gingivitis experience was seen to increase with age, a peak seen at 11 years for girls and 13 years for boys. However, the exact relation between the age related association of increasing gingivitis and puberty could not be ascertained as the children were not staged for pubertal status. Thus, this study indicates the presence of increased burden of gingivitis in the children living in U.A.E which calls for more educational interventions to help parents and children realize the importance of oral hygiene, age related physiological changes and their effect on oral health and the need for continuous involvement of the dental profession.
Description
PLEASE NOTE: This work is protected by copyright. Downloading is restricted to the BU community: please click Download and log in with a valid BU account to access. If you are the author of this work and would like to make it publicly available, please contact open-help@bu.edu.
Thesis (MSD) --Boston University Institute for Dental Research and Education, Dubai, 2011 (Pediatric Dentistry).
Includes bibliography: leaves 52-61.
Thesis (MSD) --Boston University Institute for Dental Research and Education, Dubai, 2011 (Pediatric Dentistry).
Includes bibliography: leaves 52-61.
License
This work is protected by copyright. Downloading is restricted to the BU community. If you are the author of this work and would like to make it publicly available, please contact open-help@bu.edu.