Use of CPITN cross-tabulations--a research perspective

In earlier years, studies on the epidemiology of periodontal disease were often reported in the form of mean scores for the population studied. Use of the WHO recommended Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) has given important additional information, particularly about the distribution of indicators of current periodontal disease within various age groups of the population. In the analysis of survey data, the use of CPITN cross-tabulations has been found particularly promising for the assessment of both preventive and therapeutic needs. For example, in Finnish schoolchildren the proportion of subjects with two or more sextants scoring Code 2 for calculus increased from 0 per cent at age 7 to 5 per cent at age 12 and 9 per cent at age 17 years. In the same population, 0 per cent at 7, 1 per cent at 12, and 4 per cent at 17 years of age had one or more pockets measuring more than 3 mm. In another population, comprising dentate adults from rural Finland, the prevalence of Code 4 for 6 mm or deeper pockets increased from 1 per cent at age 25 to 6 per cent at age 35, 18 per cent at age 50, and 27 per cent at 65 years of age. An important additional observation was that a total of 58 per cent of those who had one or more Code 4's, had their advanced periodontal disease confined to only one sextant. The latter finding may prove useful when deciding between partial and full mouth examinations in future epidemiological studies.