Prevalence of Chronic Gingivitis in Adolescents with Moderate Crowding of Dental Arches

Abstract

Dental crowding makes it challenging to maintain oral hygiene brushing since there is food debris accumulation in the interdental area which cannot be removed by regular brushing leading to plaque and calculus formation that in turn causes gingivitis and dental caries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of gingivitis in the adolescent population with moderate crowding of the dental arches visiting a private dental hospital. This retrospective study was conducted using records of patients visiting a private dental college from June 2019 to April 2020. The study population included adolescent patients with crowding of dental arches, selected by non-probability purposive sampling. Data was collected, tabulated and then subjected to statistical analysis. Chi-square tests were performed. Out of 1926 patients aged between 15-18 years, 110 patients reported with moderate crowding of the dental arches. There was no significant association between age and gingivitis, gender and gingivitis and malocclusion and gingivitis. Gingivitis was commonly seen in subjects with Class I malocclusion. The prevalence rate of gingivitis was 72.2% in patients with moderate crowding. The prevalence of moderate crowding was 2% in the entire population and there was no association of moderate crowding with age, gender or type of malocclusion