Gingival inflammatory reaction in children at different ages.

Earlier studies have demonstrated that, with similar levels of plaque accumulation, the tendency to develop gingivitis is lower in pre-school children than in young adults. No studies are available in which the gingival reaction in older children and adults to a given amount of plaque has been compared. The aim of the present study was to compare the gingival reaction to dental plaque in children of different ages and in adults. 3 groups of children (4-6, 7-9 and 14-16 years of age) and 1 group of adults (20-22 years of age) were studied. The degree of gingivitis was determined using the gingival index and the amount of dental plaque was assessed in terms of the plaque index. The results showed that with a given plaque score, the % of high gingivitis scores was less in the 4-6-year-old children than in the older children and adults. At all levels of plaque accumulation, the highest degree of gingival inflammation was noted in the 14-16-year-old children and in the adults. The results indicate that the gingival reactivity increases gradually from early childhood to adult age.