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Key words
Gingival index, oral hygiene index, periodontal index, pregnancy, Raichur
Abstract
Background: The physical alterations that happen throughout the pregnancy may amplify a woman's vulnerability to oral infections, including periodontal disease, and may damage the body's capability to uphold the soft tissues in the mouth.
Aims and Objectives: The aim of the present study is to consider the oral health status of pregnant women in the age group of 18-35 years in Raichur.
Materials and Methods: A total of 75 pregnant and 75 non-pregnant women in selected age group at the Outpatient Department of a Navodaya Medical Hospital, Raichur, over a period of 6 months were evaluated for oral health status by various indices including decayed, missing, and filled teeth, oral hygiene index-simplified (OHI-S), gingival index (GI), and Russell's periodontal index (PI). Inclusion and exclusion criteria are healthy pregnant women reporting for antenatal checkup were preferred for study. Study group with systemic diseases such as hypertension, severe anemia, and diabetes mellitus, were expelled. The results of different indices were tabulated and statistically analyzed using unpaired t-test.
Results: The occurrence of dental caries in pregnant women was slightly higher; OHI-S value was considerably superior in pregnant women than that of non-pregnant women. Likewise, PI was also extensively higher in pregnant women. GI showed mild-to-severe gingivitis in pregnant women. However, control group showed predominantly mild gingivitis.
Conclusion: In the current study, the oral hygiene among pregnant women was evident by oral hygiene index and PI, which was statistically noteworthy; however, there was a slight increase in dental caries in pregnant women than the control group. This suggests an inferior oral health of pregnant women, which in turn can reflect on the overall health of fetus. This might possibly affect the birth outcomes, and hence, a mother's oral health grade is essential to keep the general well-being of the child. Each pregnant woman must be specified with directions to stay up the oral hygiene and persuade their appointment to the dentist.
Introduction
Pregnancy is a distinctive moment in a woman's living. During pregnancy, lots of physiological changes occur in the body due to augmented making of progesterone and estrogen that may change the oral health status.[1]
Hormonal changes during pregnancy have been suggested to predispose women...