Gingival Health Condition in Relation to Nutritional Status of Children Attending Pedodontic Preventive Department Dental Hospital, Tikrit University in Tikrit city, Iraq
Author(s): Aseel Taha Khaudhair*, Hind Thyab Hamid, Sulafa Khairalddin Banoush and Saif Saad Kamil
Abstract
Background: Dental caries and periodontal disease were the most common and widely spread diseases affecting children. The nutrition may be one of the factors affecting the severity of the oral diseases. Aim: Aim of this study was the assessment of gingival health of samples and confirmed the relation between nutritional status and gingival health. Materials and methods: A sample of 70 children (35 boys, 35 girls) aged between 5-13 years old was selected randomly from the children that presenting in pediatric preventive dental department of Tikrit University. Dental plaque was assessed using plaque index of Silness and Loe, 1964. Gingival health condition was assessed using gingival index of Loe and Silness, 1963. The assessment of nutritional status was performed using anthropometric measurement (height and weight) according to Body mass index indicator with -2SD cutoff point. Results: The Plaque Index (PLI) was higher among well-nourished children than among wasted children with statistically highly significant differences (P0.05). No significant relation was found between Gingival Index (GI) and nutritional status. Conclusion: High prevalence of plaque accumulation in overweight child was recorded indicating the need of public and preventive programs among kindergarten children to prevent the development of gingivitis.