Hormonal influence on periodontal tissues during premenstrual and preovulatory periods

Abstract

The fluctuations in female sex hormones have been shown to affect periodontal health. Sex steroid hormonal levels may lead to increase blood volume, flow rate and vascular permeability in young females. During the menstrual cycle, clinically healthy females demonstrate different periodontal condition. Thus the aim of the present study is to evaluate the influence of hormonal variation on periodontal tissues during premenstrual and preovulatory periods. Materials and Methods: The sample was composed of 100 women in the reproductive period of 18-35 years. Periodontal parameters i.e bleeding on probing (BOP) and probing depth (PD) were evaluated using calibrated UNC 15 periodontal probe at two different time points, i.e. premenstrual (PM) and preovulatory (PO) periods. Results: The obtained data was analysed by using t-test. The premenstrual period obtained greater BOP {(0.51+0.11) versus (0.37+0.08)} and PD {(1.82+0.04) versus (1.79+0.04)} when compared with preovulatory period, showing a statistically significant difference. Conclusions: Hormonal changes which occur in the women’s reproductive period influence periodontal tissues, and in the premenstrual period, there is more susceptibility to gingival inflammation and periodontal disease. Keywords: Gingival status, Female sex hormones, Pre-menstrual and Pre-ovulatory periods.