Assessment of Periodontal Health Status and Treatment Needs Among Dental Students of Al-Kufa University by Using the Community Periodontal Index for Treatment Needs: A Cross-Sectional Study

Autori

  • Rusul Subhi Hassan department of periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Kufa University, Najaf, Iraq
  • Zanbaq Azeez Hanoon department of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq
  • Salah M. Ibrahim Department of Oral Surgery, College of Dentistry, Kufa University, Iraq
  • Nabaa Basim Alhusseini department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/d3000.2024.752

Parole chiave:

Al-Kufa University, Periodontal Disease, Cross-Sectional Study, Dental Student, Community Periodontal index for Treatment Needs

Abstract

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the periodontal status and treatment needs of undergraduate dental students at Al-Kufa University in Iraq and investigated the influence of demographic factors (age and gender) and oral hygiene practices (tooth brushing technique, frequency of brushing, use of interdental aids, dental visit patterns) on periodontal health.

Materials and Methods: A sample of 200 undergraduate dental students (aged 18-24 years) was selected using a multistage systematic random sampling procedure during the 2023-2024 academic year. Periodontal health was assessed using the World Health Organization Community Periodontal Index for Treatment Needs (CPITN). The CPITN probe was used to evaluate bleeding on probing, presence of calculus, plaque retentive factors, and pocket depths (4, 5, and 6 mm). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23, and the Pearson’s chi-square test was used to assess associations, with a p-value ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: The study revealed a high prevalence of periodontal disease (86.5%) among the students. Calculus was the most frequent finding (65.5%), while only 13.5% of students exhibited a healthy periodontium. The majority (69%) required scaling and root planning (TN2). Female students exhibited significantly healthier periodontia compared to males (p<0.05). Older students (21-24 years) had a significantly higher prevalence of deeper periodontal pockets than younger students (p<0.05). Smoking was significantly associated with poorer periodontal health (p<0.05). A statistically significant association was found between the frequency of tooth brushing and periodontal health (p<0.05), with those brushing twice daily showing better periodontal status. While not statistically significant, the use of interdental aids was associated with healthier periodontia. Students with irregular dental visit patterns had a higher prevalence of calculus (p<0.05).

Conclusion: This study found a high prevalence of periodontal disease and significant treatment needs among undergraduate dental students at Al-Kufa University. Gender, age, smoking status, and oral hygiene practices were associated with periodontal health. These findings emphasize the urgent need for comprehensive oral health education programs, incorporating behavioral change strategies and promoting the importance of preventive dental care.

##submission.downloads##

Pubblicato

2024-11-22

Fascicolo

V. 12 N. 2 (2024)

Sezione

Mechanisms of Oral Disease

Licenza

Copyright (c) 2024 Rusul Subhi Hassan, Zanbaq Azeez Hanoon, Salah M. Ibrahim, Nabaa Basim Alhusseini

Creative Commons License

TQuesto lavoro è fornito con la licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione 4.0 Internazionale.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. The Author retains copyright in the Work, where the term “Work” shall include all digital objects that may result in subsequent electronic publication or distribution.
  2. Upon acceptance of the Work, the author shall grant to the Publisher the right of first publication of the Work.
  3. The Author shall grant to the Publisher and its agents the nonexclusive perpetual right and license to publish, archive, and make accessible the Work in whole or in part in all forms of media now or hereafter known under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License or its equivalent, which, for the avoidance of doubt, allows others to copy, distribute, and transmit the Work under the following conditions:
    1. Attribution—other users must attribute the Work in the manner specified by the author as indicated on the journal Web site;
    with the understanding that the above condition can be waived with permission from the Author and that where the Work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
  4. The Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the nonexclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the Work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as long as there is provided in the document an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  5. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post online a prepublication manuscript (but not the Publisher’s final formatted PDF version of the Work) in institutional repositories or on their Websites prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work. Any such posting made before acceptance and publication of the Work shall be updated upon publication to include a reference to the Publisher-assigned DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and a link to the online abstract for the final published Work in the Journal.
  6. Upon Publisher’s request, the Author agrees to furnish promptly to Publisher, at the Author’s own expense, written evidence of the permissions, licenses, and consents for use of third-party material included within the Work, except as determined by Publisher to be covered by the principles of Fair Use.
  7. The Author represents and warrants that:
    1. the Work is the Author’s original work;
    2. the Author has not transferred, and will not transfer, exclusive rights in the Work to any third party;
    3. the Work is not pending review or under consideration by another publisher;
    4. the Work has not previously been published;
    5. the Work contains no misrepresentation or infringement of the Work or property of other authors or third parties; and
    6. the Work contains no libel, invasion of privacy, or other unlawful matter.
  8. The Author agrees to indemnify and hold Publisher harmless from Author’s breach of the representations and warranties contained in Paragraph 6 above, as well as any claim or proceeding relating to Publisher’s use and publication of any content contained in the Work, including third-party content.

Revised 7/16/2018. Revision Description: Removed outdated link.