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Risk factors for gingivitis in a group of B razilian schoolchildren
Author(s) -
Chiapinotto Fabiana Amaral,
VargasFerreira Fabiana,
Demarco Flávio Fernando,
Corrêa Fernanda Oliveira Bello,
Masotti Alexandre Severo
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of public health dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1752-7325
pISSN - 0022-4006
DOI - 10.1111/jphd.12001
Subject(s) - gingivitis , group (periodic table) , medicine , dentistry , environmental health , physics , quantum mechanics
Objective Studies on gingivitis in children and adolescents are scarce and the results are inconclusive. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and extension of gingivitis and associated factors in B razilian schoolchildren. Methods Cross‐sectional data from 1,211 schoolchildren 8 to 12 years old from S outhern B razil in 20 public and private schools were analyzed. Socioeconomic, demographic, and oral hygiene habits were assessed by questionnaires answered by parents and children. Buccal examination assessed presence of plaque, crowding, and gingivitis. Data were analyzed using P oisson regression [prevalence ratio ( PR ); 95% confidence interval ( CI )]. Results Prevalence of visible plaque was 89.7% (95% CI 88.0‐91.3) and gingival bleeding on probing was 78.4% (95% CI 76.1‐81.0). The mean and median numbers of sites with gingival bleeding were 3.10 and 2 ( SD ± 3.22), respectively. In multivariate adjusted analysis, the presence of a greater number of sites with plaque was significantly associated with gingivitis ( PR 1.26; 95% CI 1.07‐1.47) and its extension ( PR 1.96; 95% CI 1.53‐2.51). Lighter‐skinned black children had a lower probability of having severe gingivitis ( PR 0.69; 95% CI 0.48‐0.98) compared with white children. This association was observed after adjusting for other variables. Conclusions Gingivitis was associated with higher number of sites with plaque and with skin color, reflecting the influence of biological and demographic factors on this oral condition.