PERIODONTAL CONDITIONS IN VIETNAMESE IMMIGRANT CHILDREN IN SWEDEN

The aim of the present study was to compare the periodontal health in Vietnamese immigrant children in Sweden with that of native Swedish ch ildren. The study groups consisted of 42 6-17-year-old Vietnamese chil dren and 42 age- and sex-matched Swedish children. Information on syst emic health was obtained by interview. Clinical examination included r ecordings of dental plaque, supragingival calculus, bleeding on probin g, probing depth, clinical attachment loss and caries. Radiographs wer e evaluated for presence of marginal bone loss, proximal calculus and proximal caries. In addition, previously obtained and filed radiograph s were used as a supplement in order to evaluate if the children at an y time point during the ages 4-11 years had experienced proximal calcu lus or bone loss in the primary dentition. The Vietnamese children sho wed significantly higher number of sites with bleeding on probing and with probing depths greater than or equal to 4 mm. Radiographic calcul us was found in 55% of the Vietnamese and in 2% of the Swedish childre n. 5 Vietnamese children and 1 Swedish child showed periodontal bone l oss at the time of examination. In all children except 1, the bone los s was confined to primary teeth. The retrospective analysis of availab le radiographs from the primary dentition showed that 28% of the Vietn amese children and 5% of the Swedish children had experienced bone los s in their primary teeth during the ages 4-11 years. Thus, the, result s indicate that Vietnamese immigrant children run a greater risk than Swedish children to develop destructive periodontal disease.