Effect of social class on the prevalence and severity of necrotising ulcerative gingivitis in Nigerian children.

A study was designed to determine the relationship of social class to the prevalence of necrotising ulcerative gingivitis (NUG) and its severity. The study cohort was made up of 438 consecutive under 12-year old children attending Dugbe Dental Centre in Ibadan, Nigeria. They were assessed by history taking and intra-oral examination using a dental probe and dental mirror. A modification of the social class criteria of Olojugba and Lenon (1987) was used to determine the social class of the children. An index was also developed for NUG severity. The prevalence of NUG in the study cohort was 27.4%. The results showed a strong association between the prevalence and severity of NUG and social class (X2 46.75 P < 0.001).