Gingival inflammatory reactions in children with rhinoconjunctivitis due to birch pollinosis.

The present investigation was designed to study the degree of gingival inflammation in children with rhinoconjunctivitis due to birch pollinosis. Thirty-four children, 8-17 yr of age, participated. As controls, healthy classmates of the same age and sex were chosen. Dental examination was performed on three occasions: pollen season I (Spring 1987), off-season (Autumn 1987) and pollen season II (Spring 1988). The controls were examined on one occasion, mixed with the allergic children at the off-season examination. The degree of gingival inflammation was studied by determining the gingival bleeding tendency by standardized probing. Absence or presence of dental plaque was recorded after sulcular probing. In order to compensate for differences in oral hygiene level between the participants, the bleeding/plaque ratio according to Abbas et al. was calculated. The comparisons of the bleeding/plaque ratios revealed statistically significantly higher mean ratios in the allergic children during pollen seasons compared with off-season and with the controls. The results indicate that during the pollen season, children with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis exhibit an enhanced degree of gingival inflammatory reaction.