Abstract
Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of periodontal diseases amongst an adult rural Polish population.
Methods. During one year, all patients of the specialist outpatient clinic at the Institute of Rural Health in Lublin, Poland, scheduled for a clinical examination, were invited to participate in the study. A total of 450 individuals (32.5% males; 67.5% females) who agreed to participate, completed a questionnaire and were examined for periodontal health status. Patients were allocated into three age groups: ≤ 34 years, 35-54 years, ≥ 55 years. The WHO 1997 criteria were used for diagnosis and recording of their periodontal condition, using a visual method with mouth mirrors and periodontal probes and daylight illumination. Periodontal status was evaluated by trained dental examiners using CPI so all teeth present in the mouth were checked for absence or presence of gingival bleeding, dental calculus and periodontal pockets. All Individuals gave informed consent and the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Medical University of Lublin. The data were analyzed by SPSS PL software. Significance of the differences was assessed using the Pearson chi-square test.
Results: A CPI score ≥ 1 was found in 427 (94.9%) of the examined population. The number of adults with gingival bleeding (CPI = 1) and with dental calculus (CPI = 2) was 23 (5.1%) and 187 (41.6%), respectively. Periodontal pockets (CPI = 3 or 4) were found in 132 (29.4%) of the patients. There were only 23 patients (5.1%) with CPI = 0 in all sextants. Most people 18 (21.2%) a with healthy periodontium were in the youngest age group of patients.
Conclusions. The data obtained from this group of rural patients revealed a high percentage affected with gingivitis and/or periodontitis. The analysis of data can be used as a baseline for planning strategy of periodontal diseases prevention for adults in this rural region of Poland.
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