National survey of periodontal diseases in adolescents and young adults in Morocco

Aim: National surveys of periodontal diseases in children are rare. This study describes the first national survey of oral health of adolescents attending public schools in Morocco. We report the prevalence and demographic determinants of periodontal diseases, and generate population estimates for this young population.

Materials and methods: This study used a multi-stage probability sample comprising 14,667 students in 87 schools and 520 classrooms, representative of students attending grades 6-12 (age 12-18 years) in Morocco. The students were interviewed and then examined clinically to assess their periodontal status, which was classified according to the 2017 World Workshop. In addition, the diagnosis of aggressive periodontitis (AgP) was assessed.

Results: Of approximately 3 million students in this age cohort, 12.3% (or approximately 360,894 subjects) had periodontitis and 46.9% (1.4 million) had gingivitis. They comprised 10.8%, 2.9%, and 6.1% subjects with periodontitis stage I, II, and III/IV, respectively; 5.0%, or 148,336 subjects, had AgP. The prevalence rates were not significantly different by gender or urban status. However, the prevalence of AgP was particularly high in certain regions of Morocco.

Conclusions: The prevalence of staged periodontitis and AgP in this young population is among the highest reported in national surveys worldwide.