We conducted a program for preventing gingival inflammation for 3 years in a junior high school in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The program consisted mainly of instruction in oral prophylaxis and oral health education.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the program.
The results were as follows;
1. The prevalence of gingival inflammation in the students was about 70%.
2. At the baseline, the average number of segments with gingival inflammation in 3rd grade students was greater than in 1st and 2nd grade students, and the differences were statistically significant (p<0.05).
3. This study indicated that the program for preventing gingival inflammation was very effective, and the maximum value of the reduction rate was 55.4%. Especially effective was the fact that we screened out the serious cases and instructed them individually.
4. The degree of gingival inflammation in the students decreased for about 1 year. But after 1 year, the degree was reversed slightly. However, the reduction rate between baseline and after 2.5 years was still high and about a 40% effect remained.
5. A Highly statistical relationship between plaque and gingival inflammation was found both at the baseline and after 1 year. The partial correlation coefficients were 0.37 (p<0.001) and 0.18 (p<0.001).
6. Instruction for improving individual toothbrushing habits helped the students to form desirable habits for a short period, but it was difficult to maintain these favorable habits for long periods.
