Effect of increased community and professional awareness of plaque controlon the management of inflammatory periodontal diseases

Data from CPITN studies indicate that severe periodontitis affects approxim ately 10 per cent of most populations. These data have remained static for a number of years. Of interest, however, is that despite the dramatic incre ase in the use of oral hygiene aids, efforts by the dental profession in or al hygiene instruction, and the associated general improvement in oral hygi ene levels in the community, the incidence of severe chronic inflammatory p eriodontal disease has remained largely unaffected. The effects of changing oral hygiene may be reflected in slight shifts in the mild and moderate cl assifications of periodontal disease but the prevalence of advanced disease in presumably susceptible subjects has remained relatively unchanged. The ramifications of relatively non-specific plaque control measures in the man agement of advanced disease in susceptible subjects are still unclear and i t may not be until the adoption of a more specific approach to the control of specific pathogens which inhabit the subgingival biofilm that major chan ges in the general incidence of the severe inflammatory periodontal disease s will be seen.