The Evaluation of Periodontal Health Status of Middle School Students Participating in a Preventive Program for Gingivitis

Abstract

The periodontal health status of middle school students participating in a preventive program for gingivitis, which had been performed in a middle school since 1993, is evaluated in this paper. The program consisted of instruction in appropriate oral hygiene procedures to 7 th grade (12-year-old) students and recommendations to all 7 th-9 th grade students with a CPI (Community Periodontal Index) Code 2 and higher to receive oral hygiene instruction and professional care at private dental clinics. The subjects comprised 111 (58 boys; 53 girls) students who had entered middle school in 1993. When the periodontal health status was assessed annually and longitudinally, it was shown that the mean number of healthy sextants increased and the mean number of sextants with bleeding on probing decreased in 9 th grade students more significantly than those in 7 th or 8 th grade. When compared with the baseline status of 9 th grade students in 1993, both the percentage of students and the mean numbers of sextants with Code 2 (calculus) or Code 3 (4-5 mm pockets) and sextants with bleeding on probing were significantly lower in the 9 th grade students in 1995. Consequently, the improvement of their periodontal health status might be substantially attributed to the preventive program that had been specially designed and performed to control gingivitis in middle school students.