ABSTRACT
Background: Periodontal disease is often caused by bacterial plaque. However, there are indications that some infective agents, including parasites, may play important roles in the pathogenesis of the disease. Aim: This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of gingivitis and periodontitis, as well as the prevalence of Entamoeba gingivalis and Trichomonas tenax, in the oral biofilm of individuals with periodontal diseases using polymerase chain reaction. Materials and Methods: One hundred and six respondents with periodontal disease participated in the study. All study participants had a full-mouth examination, and dental plaque samples were collected with a sterile curette. Samples were transported to the laboratory in a cold chain and stored frozen till analyzed. DNA was extracted from the samples and amplified using EGO and ENTAM primers for Entamoeba and TGBK primers for T. tenax. Results: The mean age of respondents was 45 ± 16.3 years, with none using tobacco. The prevalence of gingivitis and periodontitis obtained from this study was 84.9% and 15.1%. The prevalence obtained for Entamoeba and T. tenax was 0.9% each; however, no participant had both parasites. The positive samples were from male participants with moderate gingivitis. Conclusion: Gingivitis was more prevalent than periodontitis, though with a high preponderance in females. E. gingivalis and T. tenax may not be of etiologic importance in periodontal disease as they occurred sparsely in the studied population.
ABSTRACT
Objective: There had been reports that link periodontal disease with complications associated with pregnancy outcomes such as preeclampsia, pre-term birth and low-birth weight, with individuals that have worse periodontal disease having worse pregnancy outcome. Similar relationship has also been reported between periodontal disease and sperm count, with worse periodontal disease associated with poorer periodontal health. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge of pregnant women on the possibility of this relationship between pregnancy, fertility and periodontal disease.Methods: A cross sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 201 pregnant women at the antenatal clinic of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Interviewer-administered questionnaire was used in assessing respondent's knowledge of the possible relationship between pregnancy outcome, sperm count and periodontal disease.Results: a total of 201 pregnant women with mean age of 30.69±4.04 years were interviewed. More of the respondents that have visited a dentist for treatment before the interview agreed that poor oral hygiene can affect sperm count in men, which was statistically significant (p= .001). Also, more respondents that have visited a dentist before agreed that gum disease can predispose to low-birth weight in women (p= .008).Conclusion: although many of the respondents that agreed as to the possible relationship between periodontal disease and pregnancy outcome had been to a dentist for treatment before, many of them, including those that have been to a dentist before, are either not aware of the possibility of the relationship or they totally disagreed with the possibility of the relationship. This suggest that dental professionals need to do more in the area of possible relationship and means of preventing periodontal disease especially amidst women of child-bearing age
Subject(s)
Fertility Preservation , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Needs Assessment , Nigeria , Periodontal Diseases , Pregnancy Outcome , Pregnant WomenABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: 1. To investigate the relationship between periodontitis and infertility. 2. To evaluate the importance of oral hygiene to general health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-six men requiring seminal fluid analysis as part of an on-going investigation for infertility in their spouses were serially recruited into the study. Basic dental and periodontal examination were performed. Each participant was also screened for periodontitis using a lateral flow immunoassay kit which detected levels of active membrane metalloproteinase-8. RESULTS were read-off as a color change. Due to some incomplete entries, only 76 participants were involved in the final data analysis. RESULTS: There were 55 subjects with subnormal counts (of which ten were found to be azoospermic, 41 oligospermic) and 25 normospermic controls. A positive association was found between periodontitis and subnormal sperm count in only one age group but statistically significant association was found between poor oral hygiene and subnormal sperm count across all age groups. CONCLUSION: For the first time, there appears to be a significant association between poor oral and subnormal sperm count. There also appears to an association between chronic periodontitis and subnormal sperm count. These relationships warrant further investigation. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: There appears to be a link between poor oral hygiene and low sperm count.
