title: Periodontal disease and oral hygiene in Israeli youth (14-17 years of age).
abstract: The purpose of the pesent study was to obtain current information regarding periodontal disease and oral hygiene status. The survey was conducted in Israel amon 9th-12th grade students, 14-17 years of age. A total of 1,320 schoolchildren were examined. During the examination only periodontal status and oral hygiene were checked. Periodontal status was recorded according to Russell's Periodontal Index (PI). Oral cleanliness was assessed according to GREENE & VERMILLION'S Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S). The mean PI found was 0.22. The results indicated an increase in the mean PI with age. No difference was found in average PI values between girls and boys. On the other hand, significantly lower mean OHI-S values were recorded for girls as compared with boys in the total study population and within the different age groups. Mean OHI-S decreased with age, indicating improvement.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors