Periodontal conditions in Swiss Army recruits

The purpose of the present study was to assess the oral hygiene and periodontal conditions of a young male population representative for Switzerland. 757 Swiss Army recruits were examined for their oral health status including the assessment of Plaque Index (PlI), Retention Index (RI) and Sulcus Bleeding Index (SBI) as well as Probing Depth (PD) and Loss of Probing Attachment (LA). All the teeth of the right maxillary and mandibular dental arch were evaluated on four aspects. One recruit yielded a status of juvenile periodontitis and was excluded from further analysis. 2.3% of the teeth had been lost, mainly as a result of orthodontic therapy. Mean PlI and SBI for all 756 recruits approximated 0.6, while the mean RI was around 0.1. The mean PD was 2.3 mm, and the mean LA of 0.9 mm was measured. PD and LA were slightly higher on proximal than on buccal or oral aspects. Site specific analysis for all parameters are presented. Since only 0.4% of the recruits showed probing depths of greater than or equal to 5 mm and only 1% of the subjects showed LA greater than or equal to 4 mm on any surfaces it may be concluded that severe signs of chronic adult periodontitis are absent in 99% of young male Swiss citizens.