The CPITN Survey on Industrial Workers

Relationship between CPITN and VPI, Periodontal Subjective Symptoms

Abstract

The prevention of occupational dental disease has been regarded as a serious thing for a long time in industrial dental health. In recent years, however, the understanding of dental health control has become a very important matter, and dental health care in industry has become popular. The aim of this study was to conduct an epidemiological survey on periodontal status and treatment needs in an industrial population.
A CPITN (Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs proposed by WHO) was evaluated using a WHO periodontal examination probe on 149 males who were divided into four groups (below 19, 20-29, 30-44, and 45-64 years of age) and analysed for severity and localization, of periodontal disease.
At the same time, caries incidence and modified VPI (Visible Plaque Index of Ainomo) were evaluated. A questionaire about subjective periodontal symptoms was given to all subjects. Correlation between the results of the CPITN and these data were evaluated for each age group.
From the results of the CPITN code, subjects requiring periodontal treatment needs increased with age, being about 80% below 29 years of age, and about 95% above 30 years of age. The severity of periodontal disease went up rapidly in the age group above 30 years of age.
In the distribution of CPITN code, it seemed that the progression of periodontal disease was different in each tooth group. There was no relationship between the CPITN and the VPI, but between the CPITN and subjective symptoms, there was a remarkable correlation.
As a result, it is recognized that the periodontal disease in industrial workers may be controled by oral hygiene instruction and scaling in younger age groups and by a combination of professional and personal care in age groups above 30. The CPITN is a simple and valuable method to evaluate the periodontal status in industrial workers, it is especially valuable to survey for the primary screening of periodontal diseases.