Periodontal conditions in Swedish adolescents
Year: 1991
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Kallestal Carina. 1991. Periodontal conditions in Swedish adolescents. Umea University Odontological Dissertations Abstract No. 41, ISSN 0345-7532, ISBN 917174-603-X. This thesis describes the periodontal conditions in adolescents who have taken part in an organized dental health program since pre-school age. Loss of tooth support was estimated from bone loss measurements and measurements of probing attachment level. To establish a threshold for bone loss, a methodological study was performed on the normal appearance of the proximal alveolar bone. In a subsequent study, bone loss was used to compare the periodontal conditions in two cohorts of adolescents (n=400) who were 16 years old in 1975 and 1988, respectively. In a more comprehensive crosssectional study, the periodontal conditions of 287 16-year-olds and 283 18-year-olds from northern Sweden were described. Information on periodontal conditions as well as on background factors thought to be connected with periodontal disease was gathered by means of a clinical and radiographic examination and an interview. In this study, two groups were distinguished, one with attachment loss at buccal surfaces and the other with proximal attachment loss. In a following analysis the groups with attachment loss at different surfaces were compared for differences in background factors. Each of the groups was then examined separately in two case-referent studies. The main findings of the studies were: ► In adolescents without any sign of gingival inflammation or loss of probing attach ment the distance between the cemento-enamel junction and the alveolar crest was in the 0-2 mm range; thus, for epidemiologic purposes a distance of >2 mm between the alveolar crest and the cemento-enamel junction seems appropriate as a criterion of bone loss in adolescents. ► The same prevalence of bone loss in 16-year-olds (3.5%) was found in 1975 and 1988. ► In the cross-sectional study the prevalence of probing attachment loss was 9% in 16year-olds and 19% in 18-year-olds. The compromised attachment was found mainly at buccal surfaces. Proximal loss of attachment was found in 3% and 5% of the individu als, respectively. ► The group with proximal attachment loss had more plaque, bleeding, calculus and pocket depths ^ 4 mm than the group with buccal loss. In the latter group, toothbrushing was more frequent than in the group without attachment loss. The results indicate different etiologies of loss of tooth support at different tooth-surfaces at these ages. ► Various factors may contribute to the loss of proximal attachment in young individu als. A majority of those with attachment loss had solitary affected sites, some without signs of inflammation, possibly indicating that the destruction of the periodontium had occurred earlier. Two cases were tentatively given the diagnosis periodontitis, thus giv ing a prevalence of 0.3% in this population. ► Factors related to the anatomy of the alveolar process seem to be associated with buc cal attachment loss.
Author: Carina Källestål
Language: English
Subfield: Periodontics
Field: Dentistry
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1605031676