[Relation among oral hygiene, caries and gingivitis in 4-and 5-year old children in Frankfurt/Main area].

Caries and gingivitis are plaque-induced diseases. There is no doubt a correlation between the degree of oral cleanliness and the incidence of caries and gingivitis in school children and adults. Scientific information on such a correlation in pre-school children four and five years of age, however, is only scarce. Therefore, 345 children of this age group were examined and scored for plaque, gingivitis as well as toothloss, caries and fillings. There was clearly a correlation between the degree of oral hygiene and caries and gingivitis. Children of the five-year age group were more severely involved than the four-year olds. Dental examinations of pre-school children are, according to our experience, mainly concerned with recording dental caries and toothloss. Too little emphasis is usually paid to oral hygiene status and the presence of gingivitis. The data of our study suggest that by positively influencing the oral hygiene habits of young children, not only the incidence of tooth decay can be reduced but, at the same time, the appearance of gingival inflammation can largely be prevented. This may have a positive effect on the incidence of periodontal disease during later periods of life.