The Periodontal Status of Pregnant and Lactating Women in Ilam Province, Iran (2018 - 2019)

Background: Gingivitis and periodontitis cause the inflammation of the soft tissue around the teeth and destroy the supporting structures of the teeth. This is highly prevalent during pregnancy and lactation. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the periodontal status in pregnant and lactating women in Ilam province, Iran in 2018 - 2019. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 100 pregnant and lactating women who were selected via cluster and stratified sampling. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN). Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 24 using independent t-test, chi-square, and one-way ANOVA at the significance level of 0.05. Results: The mean age of the pregnant and lactating women was 25.62 ± 5.52 and 29.08 ± 6.83 years, respectively. In total, 30% of the pregnant women had a healthy gingival, 18% had bleeding, 36% had a mass, and 16% had CPITN. As for the lactating women, 44% had a healthy gingival, 32% had bleeding, 20% had a mass, and 4% had an envelope. CPITN index II and III were significantly higher in the pregnant women compared to the lactating women. Among the pregnant women, there were 49 housewives and only one employee, while 50 of the lactating women were housewives. Conclusions: According to the results, the sample population had an unfavorable periodontal status, and the pregnant women needed more oral health education.