Current status and factors of periodontal disease among Japanese high school students: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Introduction This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of periodontal disease and the factors of the disease among high school students. Method The participants were all students aged 15–18 years (n = 1202) at a high school in Japan. The data on oral health perceptions and behaviours were collected by a questionnaire survey. The prevalence of periodontal disease among them was investigated with the partial community periodontal index (PCPI). A logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with the PCPI. Results A total of 1069 students (88.9%) participated in this study. The prevalence of gingival bleeding, calculus, pocket depth of 4–5 mm, and pocket depth of 6 mm or more were 44.2%, 42.2%, 11.4%, and 1.6%, respectively. Approximately one-third of the students had a fear of dental treatment, and only 28.4% used dental floss. The results of logistic regression analysis, adjusted for sex and school year, showed that not visiting dentists regularly, not using dental floss, brushing teeth for less than 5 min, fear of dental treatment, and drinking sports drinks frequently were positively associated with periodontal conditions. Conclusion This study identified a high prevalence of periodontal disease among Japanese high school students aged 15–18 years and its risk factors, such as poor oral health behaviours and fear of dental treatment.