title: Longitudinal study of periodontal condition in students of the Dental School the University of Buenos Aires Argentina.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to describe, clinically and radiographically, the gingivoperiodontal condition of students (young adults) entering the Dental School and reassess it 2 years later. Four hundred and seventy-five students, 147 male and 328 female (mean: 19.66 years) were studied (Initial examination: IE); two years later, 240 students 76 male and 164 female were reevaluated (Final examination: FE). The clinical examination include Plaque Index (P1I), Gingival Index (GI), Bleeding on Probing (BOP), Probing Pocket Depth (PPD), and Attachment Level (AL). Alveolar bone level was measured on bite wing radiographs. At the IE, 46.5% of the sites had no visual signs of inflammation and 65.3% did not bleed on probing, however 91% of the students had at least one site with BOP. (Prevalence). Of the total sites probed 99.47% had crevices between 1 to 4 mm. 92% had AL between 0 to 1 mm. And only 7.9% had AL > 1 mm. 49.6% of the students had at least one site with AL > 1 mm. Prevalence of alveolar bones loss > 2 mm. was 2.95% and in no case measurements exceeded 3 mm. Distal of teeth 16 and 36 showed the highest P1I, GI, PPD and AL, therefore these teeth showed the highest risk of pathology in the population studied. In the final examination 70.5% of the sites had GI 0 and 73% did not bleed on probing. 90.4% of the students had at least one site with BOP. No statistically significant difference in PPD nor in AL was found between IE and FE. In this population of young adults prevalence of gingivitis was high but severity was low. Prevalence of loss of attachment was near 50% but only 7.9% of the sites had AL > 1 mm. After studying dentistry for two years the prevalence of gingivitis was similar but the severity was lower. Periodontal condition was not substantially modified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Dental School, University of Buenos Aires.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chiappe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pedreira
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galeano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grinfeld
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Viale
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sznajder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D015995:Prevalence; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data