Periodontal Health in Polish 18-Year-Olds

Objectives: To compare periodontal health of Polish young people in 1995 and 2004. Methods: The nation wide survey covered 3051 18-year-olds in 2004, from urban and rural localities. Young people were choosen by stratified random sampling. The examination was performed according to WHO criteria (Oral Health Surveys, Basic Data). The presence of bleeding on probing, dental calculus and gingival pockets was recorded. Results from examination performed in 2004 were analyzed and compared with the results of national study performed in 1995. Results: The percentage of 18-year-olds with a healthy periodontium increased from 18,5 to 51,7. This value was higher in young people from urban than rural environments, and higher in females than males. The percentage of those with bleeding on probing decreased from 32,4 to 22,9, those with dental calculus decreased from 44,7 to 24,8 and those with gingival pockets from 3,9 to 0,5. The mean number of healthy sextants (CPI=0) in 2004 was 4,3 and varied from 2,9 to 5,9, depending on regions. At this time point 10,8% had no healthy sextant. The proportion of young people with no healthy sextant was higher in males than females; there was no difference between localities. The value also varied depending on the region (from 0 to 41,4). Conclusion: Despite a marked improvement in periodontal health among Polish 18-year-olds showed by the present study, further activities in oral health education and promotion are still needed.