Awareness of the effect of fluctuations in female sex hormone levels on periodontal health among obstetricians

BACKGROUND: Changes in women’s hormonal levels in different periods of their lives, such as puberty, menses, pregnancy, menopause and oral contraceptive use, affect periodontal health. Periodontal status has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Subsequently, it is important for obstetricians to be aware of the effects of hormones on women's oral health. The current study assessed obstetricians’ awareness about the effect of female sex hormones on periodontium in Yazd in 2016. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered, structured questionnaire. Prior to the study, a questionnaire was pre-tested and validated (ICC=0.89). The questionnaire was randomly distributed among 40 obstetricians in Yazd. Data were analyzed with chi-squared test, t-test and ANOVA and Spearman's correlation coefficient, using SPSS 18. RESULTS: There were no significant relationships between awareness level and the age (P=-0.252), years of practice and experience (P=-0.030) or practicing in public medical centers (P=0.121). CONCLUSION: As women have special periodontal health care considerations due to fluctuations in the levels of their sex hormones, this study suggests that promotion of oral health awareness among obstetricians is necessary to improve women's overall health, especially during pregnancy.