ABSTRACT
The present study was carried out to assess the gingival conditions and oral hygiene status among residents of North Sinai Desert and the Red-Sea Governorate. A total of 1142 subjects were examined, of whom 689 were from North Sinai Desert and 453 from the Red-Sea Governorate. Three age groups were selected; 10-19, 20-39, and 40 years and over. The study has shown the following 1. The gingival status and oral hygiene level among North Sinai and Red-Sea residents were found to be in a poor situation. 2. Severity of gingival disease increased by age and was accompanied by deterioration of oral hygiene in both areas examined. 3. Both gingival condition and oral hygiene level among the North Sinai group were better than that of the Red-Sea residents. This picture might be related to the degree of urbanization, as the Red-Sea community can be considered less urban in terms of the educational levels, availablity and ease of transportation to other parts of the country. 4. Lack of good oral hygiene and the existence of poor gingival conditions indicates that, the existing dental services are not coping with the actual treatment needs of these communities, as well as, lack of basic dental health knowledge and behavior