title: Pilot pathfinder survey of oral hygiene and periodontal conditions in the rural population of The Gambia (West Africa).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document oral hygiene and periodontal conditions in the rural population of The Gambia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study according to the recommendations of the WHO for oral health surveys.
  
  
  METHODS
  Examination by two calibrated investigators in the health centres of rural communities after a public radio call. Patients were randomly allocated to the investigators.
  
  
  METHODS
  162 patients (20-54 years old; 52.5% female, 47.5% male).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were interviewed for personal information and examined in a full-mouth recording.
  
  
  METHODS
  Oral Hygiene Index (OHI), Gingival Index (GI), Community Periodontal Index (CPI), and the Gingivitis-Periodontitis-Missing/Teeth Index (GPM/T). Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon-rank-sum test and Kruskal-Wallis test with statistical significance at P < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OHI increased by age from 6.9 to 9.2 (P < 0.05) and showed in tendency higher levels in men (P = 0.07), while the GI remained stable at 1.2. Community Periodontal Index codes increased by age (P < 0.05) and showed a fourfold higher prevalence for severe periodontitis in males (P < 0.05). Likewise, an age-related increase in GPM/T was evident (20.5 versus 25.4), significantly in the number of moderate periodontitis and missing teeth (P < 0.05). In GPM/T, males again demonstrated significantly more teeth affected by periodontitis than women. No statistical associations were found between ethnic groups or for different oral hygiene methods concerning CPI or GPM/T.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of predominantly mild to moderate periodontal disease indicates treatment needs that should be considered when developing a national oral health care plan in The Gambia (West Africa).
authors.affiliation: Department of Operative and Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany. andreas.jordan@uni-wh.de
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucaciu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fotouhi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Markovic
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaengler
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zimmer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D005260:Female; D005714:Gambia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult