Periodontal conditions in Vietnamese immigrant children in Sweden

The aim of the present study was to compare the periodontal health in Vietnamese immigrant children in Sweden with that of native Swedish children. The study groups consisted of 42 6-17-year-old Vietnamese children and 42 age- and sex-matched Swedish children. Information on systemic health was obtained by interview. Clinical examination included recordings of dental plaque, supragingival calculus, bleeding on probing, probing depth, clinical attachment loss and caries. Radiographs were evaluated for presence of marginal bone loss, proximal calculus and proximal caries. In addition, previously obtained and filed radiographs were used as a supplement in order to evaluate if the children at any time point during the ages 4-11 years had experienced proximal calculus or bone loss in the primary dentition. The Vietnamese children showed significantly higher number of sites with bleeding on probing and with probing depths > or = 4 mm. Radiographic calculus was found in 55% of the Vietnamese and in 2% of the Swedish children. 5 Vietnamese children and 1 Swedish child showed periodontal bone loss at the time of examination. In all children except 1, the bone loss was confined to primary teeth. The retrospective analysis of available radiographs from the primary dentition showed that 28% of the Vietnamese children and 5% of the Swedish children had experienced bone loss in their primary teeth during the ages 4-11 years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)