Effects of oral hygiene on periodontal tissues in a town in Yugoslavia

We examined 1316 pupils, average age 16.6 years, in a small town in Serbia. The purpose of this study was to find out the effects of the oral hygiene on the condition of the periodontal tissues and the frequency of gingivitis and periodontal disease and their severity in this age group. The presence and quantity of dental plaque were registered according to the Silness & Löe Plaque Index. The amount of dental calculus was determined according to the Greene & Vermillion method. The condition of periodontal tissues was evaluated by Ramfjord's method. It was found that only 5.3% of the examined pupils had a clinically healthy periodontium. Gingivitis was discovered in 60.6%, and periodontal disease (with periodontal pockets) in 34.1% of the examined pupils. The average PDI was 1.8. We revealed great quantities of soft and hard deposits on the teeth of examined pupils. The average Plaque Index was very high (1.9).