Assessment Of Periodontal Status Of Postmenopausal Women Attending Dental Clinics

Research Article
Bhat, SP., Saloda, N., Bhat, N and Saloda, N
DOI: 
xxx-xxxxx-xxxx
Subject: 
science
KeyWords: 
Gingivitis, Menopause, Oral Hygiene, Periodontal attachment loss.
Abstract: 

Background & objectives: Natural menopause is defined as a spontaneous cessation of natural menstruation for 12 consecutive months at 45-55 years of age (mean 50-52). Menopause brings oral health problems commonly because of lack of estrogen. This association needs further perusal which was addressed in the following study along with patient education regarding periodontal health. Methods: The study was conducted in Udaipur, India on 100 postmenopausal women aged between 54-70 years with cessation of menstruation for 12 months. The participants were examined for Clinical Attachment Loss (CAL), Furcation Involvement, Probing Depth, Oral Hygiene Index - Simplified (OHI-S) and Gingival Index (GI). Number of teeth present in the oral cavity of subjects was considered and emphasis was laid on reasons of tooth loss. The oral cavity was examined for signs of Periodontitis. Results: In the study, four completely edentulous participants were reported while others had dentate state ranging from 3 to 32 teeth with exfoliation being the dominant reason for tooth loss. Nearly half of the dentulous participants did not show CAL but maximum participants revealed Grade-I Furcation Involvement. Measurement of OHI-S and GI revealed that majority of the population falls into “fair” category of former index while according to latter index major portion of population suffers from mild gingival inflammation. Interpretation & conclusion: The conclusion drawn out from the results indicated towards risk of postmenopausal women for periodontal diseases and negligence of major portion of study population towards their periodontal health.