Oral health status among a group of pregnancy and lactating women in relation to salivary constituents and physical properties : a comparative study

Abstract EN

Background : the physiological and hormonal changes during lactating and pregnancy may affect dental and gingival health conditions.

The aims of this study were to investigate the occurrence and severity of both dental caries and periodontal diseases among these women in relation to different salivary variables and constituents.

Materials and Methods : A study group representing 30 lactating mothers whose infants were 4-6 months of age, and 30 pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Their age was 20-21 years.

The control group comprised 30 married non-pregnant nulliparous women.

Diagnosis and were recording of dental caries according to the WHO 1987 criteria and GI, PlI according to the Loe and Sillness (1964), CI according to the Ramfjord, probing pocket depth according to the Carranza et al, 2002.

Stimulated salivary sample was collected according to the Tenovuo Lagerlof.

The average salivary flow rate was measured from total volume, and the pH was determined using the pH meter.

Salivary samples were chemically analyzed for the detection of electrolytes (Ca and PO4), and immunoglobulin (IgA), in addition to lysozyme enzyme.

Results : the total mean value of dental caries were recorded to be the highest among pregnant group followed by lactating then control with statistically no significant difference (P > 0.05).

Concerning the plaque index, gingival index and calculus indices, they were recorded to be highest among pregnant group followed by lactating then control with statistically no significant difference (P > 0.05).

Regarding to pH, the control group showed the highest value while the pregnant group exhibited the lower one with highly significant differences was recording between groups P = 0.000.

The flow rate showed no significant difference between groups.

No clinical loss of attachment was seen between the groups.

Calcium ions showed a high concentration in saliva of the lactating group compared to the other two groups with highly significant differences P = 0.01.

Phosphorous ions showed a high concentration in saliva of the lactating group compared to the other two groups with statistically no significant difference (P > 0.05).

Regarding salivary lysozyme the highest value was recorded among the pregnant group, while the lowest value was recorded in the control with statistically no significant difference (P > 0.05).

The same result was seen for salivary IgA but with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05).

Conclusion : the severity of dental caries and gingival inflammation were the highest among pregnant group compared to the other two groups.

This may related to the changes in the salivary pH and constituent during pregnancy.