Periodontal changes after caries management in preschool and school-age children

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of caries management on the periodontal status of preschool and school-age children. Methods: Twenty-six four- to eight-year-old children with at least one primary molar with a deep carious lesion were selected to undergo a periodontal evaluation before and six months after dental treatment. Two examiners conducted the periodontal exams using the visible plaque index (VPI) and gingival bleeding index (GBI). Longitudinal changes were compared using paired t-test and Fisher's test. Poisson regression models were used to investigate the variables influencing GBI (α =five percent). Results: There were no significant differences in the mean percentage of VPI-positive sites (55.8±26.9 percent to 54.5±29.8 percent; P =0.829) and GBI-positive sites (37.2±22.2 percent to 32.1±22.8 percent; P =0.222) before and after treatment. In contrast, the mean number of GBI sites decreased from 8.5±5.03 to 6.3±4.39 (P =0.026), while the percentage of patients presenting GBI of no more than 10 percent increased from 11.5 percent to 26.9 percent over time (P =0.013). Similar analyses for VPI did not show a statistical significance. Boys (P =0.037) and six- to eight-year-old children ( P =0.029) had lower reductions on GBI. Conclusion: Caries management has a positive impact on the periodontal condition of children, especially on gingival bleeding.