Gingivitis in children with malnutrition.

The purpose of the current study was to compare the prevalence and severity of gingivitis and plaque among 291 well- and malnourished children between the ages of 4 to 7 years. Using the National Center for Health Statistics criteria, the children were identified as normal (well nourished), having a height-of-age > 95% of standard. Selected primary teeth of each child were assessed using the Plaque Index (PlI) and the Modified Gingival Index (MGI). The results demonstrated a 100% prevalence of plaque and gingivitis. Also, there was no significant difference in the PlI and MGI in the well-nourished and malnourished groups, nor between males and females. However, there was a trend in the well-nourished group to less plaque and gingivitis when broken down into different stature-by-age percentiles.