title: Plaque, calculus, gingival bleeding and type of tooth cleaning device in a Tanzanian child population in 1984, 1986 and 1988.
abstract: In 1984, 1986 and 1988 a mixed-longitudinal study was carried out to determine the prevalence of plaque, calculus, gingival bleeding and type of tooth cleaning device amongst school children in Morogoro, Tanzania. The background parameters considered were age, geographical location and sex. The reproducibility of the methods of diagnosis was assessed. In general, more children possessed a chewing stick than a toothbrush, except urban children. The prevalence of visible plaque decreased and the prevalence of calculus increased with increasing age. Gingival bleeding was not age-dependent. Urban children had significantly more surfaces covered with visible plaque, but had a significantly lower prevalence of calculus, than rural children. Boys showed a significantly higher prevalence of visible plaque and calculus than girls. In the majority of those with gingival bleeding, only 1 of the 6 examined papillae was involved, most often the mesio-lingual papilla of the 3.6. The children had not been subjected to organized oral health care and professional intervention. The findings of the study indicate the need for organized school-based oral hygiene programmes in the area in order to improve the periodontal health of these children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cariology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Frencken
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Truin
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van 't Hof
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Lembariti
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kalsbeek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D015588:Observer Variation; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000295:instrumentation; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012424:Rural Population; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population