Dental caries prevalence, tooth brushing and periodontal status in 150 young people in Istanbul: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate periodontal conditions, prevalence and determination of dental caries and oral health behaviours in a group of young people in Istanbul.

DESIGN

Subjects were orally examined and questioned.

SETTING

A high school in Istanbul.

SUBJECTS

One hundred of fifty students.

RESULTS

This study showed that 28 per cent of teenagers had adequate oral hygiene. These findings suggest that 72 per cent of the subjects needed oral hygiene education and required restorative dental care.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study showed that dental treatment need is very high in the sample group. Strong co-operation should be set up between families, schools, communities, regulators and legislators in order to develop and implement comprehensive oral health promotion programmes.