Periodontal status in childhood and early adolescence: three-year follow up.

The 4-year study examined the interrelationship between dental plaque, gingival inflammation and gingival sulcus depth in a 78 children (41 boys, 37 girls, aged 1 to 12 years at initial examination) living in a rural community in Israel. Plaque index (PlI) remained essentially the same throughout the study period for both primary and permanent dentition, while gingival index (GI) and sulcus depth increased (p<0.001 for sulcus depth). Sulcus depth was significantly greater in the older children at each yearly examination (p<0.001). A strong correlation existed between age and sulcus depth at each yearly examination (r=0.644, p<0.001). Comparison of PlI and GI with "delta sulcus" failed to show statistical significance between these parameters. The findings strengthen the hypothesis that the increase in sulcus depth in children and young adolescents is associated primarily with age and to a much lesser degree with inflammatory response.