Periodontal status among Chinese women of child-bearing age in Shenzhen

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the association of life-style habits, pregnancy history and oral hygiene behaviors with periodontitis among Chinese women of child-bearing age. Methods: A total of 146 women (aged 24-35 years) preparing for pregnancy or being pregnant of 7-13 or 34-36 gestational weeks were recruited at the Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital from August 2020 to February 2021. Demographic characteristics, life-style habits and oral hygiene behaviors were recorded from the questionnaires. Full-mouth periodontal examination was performed after obtaining informed consent from all participants, and their periodontal status was assessed with reference to the classification of periodontal conditions (2017). Results: Overall, 52.1% of the subjects (76/146) were aged 30-35 years. Of them, 126 women were pregnant, including 37 at 7-13 weeks and 89 at 34-36 weeks of gestational age. Most participants lived in relatively healthy life-styles. Majority of them had regular menstruation (78.8%), no parity history (71.9%), no miscarriage record (79.5%). 87.0% of participants brushed teeth twice a day, with very few dental flossing and regular dental visit. Notably, 56.8% (83/146) exhibited periodontitis (Stages I-IV) and the rest had no periodontitis. Overly, 61.0% self-reported bleeding on brushing (BoB), and 80.7% of the periodontitis subjects had BoB experience. There was significant difference in age (P<0.05) and self-reported BoB (P<0.001) between the periodontitis and non-periodontitis groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis further revealed that age (30 to 35 years) (OR=2.56, 95% CI:1.08-6.20, P<0.05) and self-reported BoB (OR=8.47, 95% CI: 3.71-19.34, P<0.001) significantly accounted for the presence of periodontitis. Moreover, irregular menstruation increased the risk of periodontitis (OR=0.36, 95% CI: 0.13-0.99, P<0.05). Conclusions: This preliminary investigation suggests that self-reported bleeding on brushing in women of child-bearing age may be potentially indicative of periodontitis. Enhancement of awareness of oral/periodontal health and disease prevention should be undertaken for promotion of women's oral health and wellbeing.