Demographic and clinical data associated with acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis in a dental school population

Abstract This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of demographic and clinical factors of patients diagnosed as having ANUG as determined by the presence of painful, bleeding, necrotic and ulcerated interproximal gingival papillae. Results showed that ANUG patients were evenly divided between males and females relative to the general clinic population. 58% of the patients with ANUG were under 25 years of age as compared to 31 % under 25 in the general clinic population. Overall, the ANUG group accounted for 1.4% of the under 34 age group in the general clinic population. 76% of the ANUG group had a high school education or less with 67 % having less than $5,000 annual income. Only 20% presented with elevated temperature. Only 6% of the patients with ANUG were non-smokers as compared to 63% in a matched control group. Of great significance was the fact that only 1 patient with ANUG was black as compared to a 41% black population in the clinic population.