Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis in college students

Since college students are highly sus­ ceptible to acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (A N U G ), the 326 members of a college freshman class were examined for ANUG at their entering physical ex­ aminations and a followup questionnaire was sent to each.

Abstract

Since college students are highly sus­ ceptible to acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (A N U G ), the 326 members of a college freshman class were examined for ANUG at their entering physical ex­ aminations; eight months later, a followup questionnaire was sent to each. Twenty-two students were found who had ANUG at the time of matriculation, had a history of ANUG or contracted ANUG during their freshman year. This group smoked more than the unaffected group. The data also suggested that poor oral hygiene might be a factor in the disease. That there is a psychological fac­ tor in the disease is suggested by the greater number of withdrawals from col­ lege and the higher proportion of psy­ chology majors in the ANUG group than in the unaffected group.