Frequency of gingivitis in pregnancy in patients reporting to Bacha Khan Dental College, Mardan

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of gingivitis in pregnant females reporting to Bach Khan Dental College, Mardan. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 70 pregnant women by using non-probability consecutive sampling technique. Pregnant females with age range of 20 to 45 years, having adequate oral hygiene, no systemic disease affecting gingival health and Pakistani nationals were included in the study. Age, trimester of pregnancy, employment, brushing habit and presence of gingivitis were recorded. Loe and Silness gingival index was used to record the various grades of gingivitis (normal gingiva, mild, moderate, and severe gingivitis). Descriptive statistics were computed. Comparison was done for the presence of gingivitis by age, employment, brushing habits, and trimester using Chi-Square test. P?0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of the study was 28.44 years (SD, 5.65 years). The gingivitis was present in 40 (57.1%) participants. Of total 22 (31.4%) were government employees. Most common pattern of brushing teeth was ‘twice a day’ (n=28, 40%) and most common trimester of pregnancy was third (n=28, 40%). Most of the pregnant female belonged to age group 26 to 30 years (n=28, 40%) and 20 to 25 years (n=21, 30%). Most common form of gingivitis was severe (n=25, 35.71%) followed by moderate (n=13, 18.57%). In pregnant females the effect of brushing pattern, employment, trimesters and age on gingivitis was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: The frequency of gingivitis in pregnancy is quite high in our study. The dental practitioners should be vigilant and advise the plaque control and prompt treatment of gingivitis to pregnant females to prevent progression to periodontitis.