ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine gingival status and caries experience among 12 and 15- year old school children in the middle and South regions of Jordan
Methods: Data were collected through a clinical examination carried out by a calibrated examiner for 1,914 school children, 633 girls and 1,281 boys [943 in Southern Jordan and 971 in Central Jordan] in twenty two schools. All present teeth were examined including primary teeth. Loe and Silness gingival index was used to detect the gingival condition while dental caries experience was assessed using decayed, missing and filled teeth index
Results: Gingivitis was detected in 31.4% of the 12 year olds compared to 52.6% of the 15 year olds. Prevalence of dental caries for 12 year olds was 89.7%, the mean decayed; missing and filled teeth 2.65 +/- 1.15 and gingival score 0.47 +/- 0.81. For students aged 15 years prevalence of dental caries was 94.8%, decayed, missing and filled teeth 2.82 +/- 1.36 and gingival score 0.73 +/- 0.83. For the study population, older subjects tended to have higher decayed, missing and filled teeth [2.82 +/-1.36] than younger [2.65 +/- 1.15] and gingival scores were also higher in older [0.73 +/- 0.83] than younger [0.47 +/- 0.81] and the difference was statistically significant [P = 0.00]. The difference in mean decayed, missing and filled teeth and gingival index between Southern and Central Jordan was statistically significant [P = 0.00]. Boys tended to have significantly higher decayed, missing and filled teeth index and gingival scores than girls [P = 0.00]
Conclusion: Caries experience and gingival scores were significantly higher in boys than girls and in 15 than 12 year old school children. These scores were also worse among students in South regions of Jordan compared to those in the middle regions. A need to build a school-based oral health services is evident and both preventive and restorative approaches should be adopted for school children
ABSTRACT
To study the pattern and management of hypodontia in the permanent dentition, excluding the third molars, in a sample of Jordanian orthodontic patients. A total of 1200 orthodontic patients [600 females and 600 males] was examined for evidence of hypodontia at Prince Rashid Ben Al- Hassan Hospital during the period between July 2008 and September 2010. Intraoral examination, pre treatment records, and orthopantomographic study were used for the diagnosis of tooth agenesis. Our study group comprised 116 non-syndromic hypodontic patients [74 females and 42 males], with an age range of 10-25 years [mean age 17 years 8 months]. A hypodontia prevalence of 9.7% was found for the total study group [6.2% for females and 3.5% for males] with a statistically significant difference between both gender [P<0.05]. The most frequently missing teeth were the maxillary lateral incisors [41.1%], followed by the mandibular second premolars [28.5%]. Hypodontia was found more often in the maxilla [62%] and symmetrical hypodontia was predominant. Most patients [82.8%] had hypodontia of one or two teeth, whereas oligodontia was found in 3.5%. Accurate diagnosis of hypodontia is the key to orthodontic treatment planning and eventual treatment itself. Furthermore, additional knowledge of dental development will contribute valuable insights for novel therapeutic regiments in the future so that we can move from a mode of diagnosis and treatment to one of prediction and prevention.