Oral Hygiene, Gingival, Periodontal Conditions of Public High School Students

One of the major concerns of the Philippine government is to improve the total dental and oral health care delivery system for the students in most public schools. The assessment of oral health conditions among public high school students is necessary for planning programs regarding the control and prevention of oral diseases. Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the oral hygiene, gingival and periodontal conditions of students at V. Mapa High School in Manila. Methods: A stratified random sampling technique was used in the selection of the subjects representing the different yearlevels which involved 600 students. The assessment of the oral health conditions was done by using the indices associated with oral hygiene (OHI/OHI-S), plaque accumulation (PI), gingival inflammation (GI) and community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN). Prior to actual epidemiological survey, an inter-examiner calibration was conducted to ensure standardized criteria for each type of index. A substancial Kappa score (0.6-0.8) was obtained. Results: The resutls revealed that the mean index scores for oral hygiene and plaque of all students in the different year levels were good. The mean gingival index scores of the subjects were indicative of mild inflammation. The assessment of the periodontal condition revealed that most of the subjects had bleeding gums; freshmen students (31%), sophomore students (28%), junior students (52%) and senior students (49). Only a few senior students were diagnosed with deep pockets (4-5mm). The data also showed that 49% of freshmen, 60% of juniors and 62% of seniors required TN1 (oral hygiene instruction). However, a small percentage of the students were recommended for TN3. Conclusions: In conclusion, there was a mild level of gingival disease manifestation. The result suggested that more attention should be directed towards oral hygiene instruction and gingival treatment to reduce disease progression.