Characterization of chronic gingivitis in an adolescent population

Abstract

Introduction: chronic gingivitis is the inflammatory process that affects the periodontium of protection and alters the normal characteristics of the gingiva, with a high prevalence in adolescents. Objective: to characterize chronic gingivitis in adolescents from 11 to 19 years old in the North Area of Sancti Spiritus province. Methods: an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out; the target group comprised 61 adolescents, who attended the Provincial Teaching Dentistry Clinic during the period of September 2019-January 2020. The variables studied were: age, sex, factors of risk, clinical anatomy characteristic, severity of the disease and knowledge about chronic gingivitis. Methods from the theoretical and empirical levels, along with descriptive statistics were used. Results: the age group 17-19 years (45,9 %) predominated, poor oral hygiene (78,7 %) followed by dental caries (47,5 %) and smoking (40,9 %). The level of knowledge was poor in 72,1 % and edematous gingivitis was the one that most affected adolescents, with the highest incidence in the ages from 14 to 16 (36,1%). Conclusions: chronic gingivitis, mainly of the edematous type, was common in male adolescents in ages from 17 to 19. Risk factors such as poor oral hygiene influenced on the onset of this disease. It is necessary to increase the level of knowledge on adolescents to prevent the onset of this condition.

Keywords

• adolescente
• enfermedades periodontales
• gingivitis
• factores de riesgo
• índice periodontal
• conocimientos, actitudes y práctica en salud