EVALUATION OF PERIODONTAL HEALTH IN 7-14 YEAROLD CHILDREN WHO LIVE IN MALATYA CITY AND NEAR DISTRICTS

Aim: the aim of this study is to evaluate periodontal health and alteration in periodontal status related to aging in 7- 14 year-old children living in malatya city. material and methods: 7-14 year-old 1115 school children who live in malatya city and near districts were included in the study. periodontal status of the subjects were assessed using the plaque index (pi) and the bleeding on probing (bop). results: the mean pi, bop scores and prevalence of periodontal disease in girl students were lower than boys (p<0.05), and tooth brushing habit was higher for girls (p<0.05). pi and bop scores between 7-9 year old had no statistically significant difference in terms of gender (p>0.05). pi and bop scores increased in direct proportion with age but decreased in girls at the age of 14 (p<0.05). periodontal diseases were increased with age in both gender (p<0.05). conclusion: children living in the province of malatya aging in 7-14 years as a result of poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease increased in direct proportion to the severity and prevalence with age. to improve the periodontal health of the community, oral and dental health-related training should be given to children before the age of 9.