The incidence of plaque and gingivitis in schoolchildren of the Davos region

The aim of the present study was to collect basic material for planning and executing a program for the prevention of caries and gingival inflammation in children. A total of 275 schoolchildren aged 8, 10 and 12 years were examined by 3 calibrated examiners in Davos Dorf and Davos Platz. The degree of plaque was measured according to the Pl-I of Silness and Loe on all permanent teeth. Gingivitis was measured using the SB-I method according to Muhlemann and Son. Oral hygiene: the eight- and ten-year-old children from Davos Dorf exhibited a significantly smaller Pl-I than their counterparts in Davos Platz. A significantly different (p less than 0.02) oral hygiene was also found between girls and boys of age 12. Gingivitis: The degree of gingivitis was minimal in the youngest age group. A significantly greater inflammation (p less than 0.03) was found in the 10-year-old group from Davos Platz. There was no discernible difference measured in the 12-year-old group between Davos Dorf and Davos Platz, but there was a distinguishable difference observed between the sexes (p less than 0.02).