Results of 28 CPITN surveys in 24 countries for the age group 35-44 years, stored in the WHO Global Oral Data Bank as of 1 July 1986 are assembled in an overview presenting: percentages of persons according to the highest score for each person, the estimated national percentages of edentulousness and the mean numbers of sextants affected per person. It is concluded that for a large majority in most of the populations observed, the progress of periodontal disease has been slow and seems to be compatible with retention of a natural dentition until at least the age of 50.
Results of 61 CPITN surveys in 39 countries for the age group 15-19 yr, stored in the WHO Global Oral Data Bank as of 1 July 1987, are assembled in an overview showing percentages of persons according to the highest score for each person and the mean numbers of sextants affected per person. The most frequently observed condition was score 2 (calculus with or without bleeding), although some shallow pocketing of 4 or 5 mm was present in most populations surveyed. It should thus be emphasized that the major thrust of activities in periodontal care should be in health promotion and education, leading to improved oral hygiene.
Standard methods to facilitate the collection of data on a global basis have been developed by WHO. Data collection in accordance with criteria proposed by WHO began in 1969 from existing sources and was subsequently supplemented by new data collected using the standard methods. Associated with these methods developments, a WHO Global Oral Epidemiology program was begun with the objective of facilitating comparison of data and their use in planning, replanning, and evaluating oral health services according to needs and economic possibilities. That program provides an orderly storage and retrieval system and a visual representation of contrasts in prevalence of those oral diseases which are among the most common known to man. In selecting data for inclusion in the WHO oral epidemiology data bank, a liberal policy has been pursued to make maximum use of available material. The system of classification allows for data retrieval at various levels and for specific ages. Data on caries are available for 95 countries and on periodontal diseases for 50 countries.
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