Periodontal status by CPITN, and associated variables in an Israeli permanent force military population

Aims: The objectives were to determine periodontal treatment needs using the CPITN index, of Israeli permanent force military personnel. Methods: The study population consisted of 1300 military personnel aged 25-44 years (mean age 33.8±5.4), who attended obligatory routine medical and dental examinations. Clinical examinations were conducted by 3 calibrated examiners, employing flat dental mirrors, the specially designed WHO periodontal probes (FDI probes) and following CPITN criteria. The frequency distributions were studied with regard to age groups, gender and education, as well as differences in the severity of the disease. Also, the mean number of sextants affected per person by age was assessed. Results: Only 1.19% of the subjects demonstrated healthy periodontal tissue. Shallow pockets were similarly found among all age groups, and the number of persons with deep pockets increased with age. Deep pockets were found almost 3 X more among males (18.66%) in comparison with females (6.19%). Persons with higher education (>12 years), had less deep pockets and bleeding than individuals with less than 12 years of education (p<0.05). Conclusions: Compared with data from other countries reported by the WHO, this periodontal status indicates a relatively high level of treatment needs. This survey provides a substantial contribution to the national oral health data bank concerning the adult working population in Israel.