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| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2017 | Volume
: 5
| Issue : 1 | Page : 17-20 |
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Gender-based differences in occurrence of gingival disease among dental students: A survey
Rizwan M Sanadi1, Laksha R Chelani1, Namrata J Suthar1, Nitin Khuller2, P Basavaraj3
1 Department of Periodontics, Y.M.T. Dental College and Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
2 Department of Periodontics, Dasmesh Institute of Research and Dental Sciences, Faridkot, Punjab, India
3 Department of Community Dentistry, D.J. Dental College, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| Date of Web Publication | 20-Jan-2017 |
Correspondence Address:
Laksha R Chelani
B-5, Avon Apartments, Veer Savarkar Marg, Mahim, Mumbai - 400 016, Maharashtra
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/2348-1471.198783
Background: Females have a more favorable attitude toward health-related issues, including dental health behavior. Many studies have shown gender differences in the occurrence of gingival disease, but a few have clearly explained what causes this difference. Objectives: The present survey was conducted to assess gender differences in the occurrence of gingival disease among dental students, influenced by oral health behaviors and lifestyle factors. Materials and Methods: The survey assessed 209 dental students (59 males and 150 females) aged between 18 and 29 years. The assessment of oral hygiene intraorally was done using plaque index, sulcus bleeding index, and simplified oral hygiene index. Additional information was collected regarding oral health behaviors and lifestyle factors. The results of the survey were subjected to analysis to test the statistical significance. Results: Chi-square test was used to assess the gender differences. It was found that females had better oral health behaviors and a healthier lifestyle (P < 0.001) than males. There were significant differences between males and females (P < 0.001) when the oral health status was compared. Conclusion: Gender-based differences in gingival disease among dental students were found to be significant in this survey. This can be explained by oral health behaviors and hygiene status, which is influenced by lifestyle factors. Hence, different approaches to males and females may be helpful in preventing gingival disease. Keywords: Gender differences, gingival disease, lifestyle factors, oral health, oral hygiene
How to cite this article:
Sanadi RM, Chelani LR, Suthar NJ, Khuller N, Basavaraj P. Gender-based differences in occurrence of gingival disease among dental students: A survey. Dent Med Res 2017;5:17-20 |
How to cite this URL:
Sanadi RM, Chelani LR, Suthar NJ, Khuller N, Basavaraj P. Gender-based differences in occurrence of gingival disease among dental students: A survey. Dent Med Res [serial online] 2017 [cited 2021 Jun 17];5:17-20. Available from: https://www.dmrjournal.org/text.asp?2017/5/1/17/198783 |
| Introduction | |  |
Oral health is often considered a distinct specialty that is separate from the body as a whole. However, the health of the oral cavity can have wide-reaching effects on overall health. Poor oral health may occur concomitantly with a more serious underlying disease process or may predispose an individual to other health conditions.[1] Oral diseases have strong associations with systemic diseases, and poor oral health can worsen the impact of systemic diseases. Protecting oral health is therefore critical to maintaining overall health.
In research dealing with the major chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disorders and cancer), more emphasis has been directed toward the combined influence of lifestyle, psychological factors, and social conditions, instead of standard risk factors.[2] In recent years, this idea has spread to dentistry as well.[3],[4] Hence, researchers have begun to study not only the standard risk factors, which do not explain everything, but also the combined influences of lifestyle and oral health behaviors.
The concept of lifestyle makes it possible to study behavior in a wider sense, and it sheds more light on the personal characteristics of an individual than earlier investigations which included only dental health habits or smoking habits. Oral health behaviors such as frequency of tooth brushing, use of dental floss, and frequency of dental visits are associated with various factors, including knowledge, attitude, lifestyle, stress, education level, and socioeconomic status. Of these six factors, knowledge, attitude, and lifestyle have been related to gender differences.[5],[6],[7]
Understanding how gender differences in oral health behaviors affect gingival condition in young people may enable efficient prevention of periodontitis through improved therapeutic approaches against gingivitis. Studies carried out have shown that the dental health behavior of women is healthier than that of men. The prevalence of periodontal disease is lower among women than men.[8],[9] The aim of the present study was to assess gender-based differences in gingival disease, influenced by oral health behaviors and other lifestyle factors, among dental students.
| Materials and Methods | | |
The survey was carried out in a dental college. The participants of this survey were 209 dental students studying in this college that included both males and females. Ethical clearance was obtained from the College Ethical Committee. Informed consent was obtained from all the participants.
A clinical questionnaire was designed for the survey to assess the following oral health-related variables.
The oral health behaviors reported by the participants included frequency of toothbrushing, use of dental floss, and frequency of dental visits in the past year.
Lifestyle factors included experience of smoking, experience of drinking alcohol, regular physical exercise, maintaining proper weight, and sleeping regularly.
Intraoral examination included assessment of oral hygiene status of the subjects using plaque index (Silness and Loe, 1964), sulcus bleeding index (Muhlemann and Son, 1971), and simplified oral hygiene index (Greene and Vermillion, 1964).
All the participants were requested to fill up the questionnaire. The examination of all the participants was carried out by a single person, to eliminate bias. The examiner was adequately trained in all aspects for the assessment.
| Results | | |
The data thus obtained from the questionnaire were tabulated and then subjected to statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics were expressed as means and standard deviations for each group. Association of gender with the oral health behaviors and various lifestyle factors related to gingival disease was done using Chi-square test. In the above test, P ≤ 0.05 was taken to be statistically significant. All analyses were performed using SPSS software version 10 (IBM SPSS Statistics, India).
Out of the 209 participants [Table 1], 150 were females (71.77%) and 59 were males (28.23%). The age distribution [Table 2] of the study participants was between 18 and 29 years.
In oral health behaviors [Table 3], there was no statistically significant difference when tooth brushing frequency (P = 0.533), use of dental floss (P = 0.198), and frequency of dental visits in the past year (P = 0.211) were compared between males and females [Graph 1] and [Graph 2].
Among the lifestyle factors [Table 4], statistically, there was a highly significant difference when experience of smoking (P < 0.001), experience of drinking (P < 0.001), maintaining proper weight (P = 0.010), and sleeping regularly (P = 0.041) were compared between males and females [Graph 3]. However, there was no significant difference between males and females when the variable of regular physical exercise (P = 0.051) was compared.
On intraoral examination [Table 5], plaque index (P < 0.001), sulcus bleeding index (P < 0.001) and simplified oral hygiene index (P < 0.001) scores showed a statistically significant difference when compared between males and females [Graph 4].
| Discussion | | |
Oral health is an integral part of general health and should not be isolated as it contributes to determining the overall health condition of an individual. Systemic health is closely linked to the state of the oral cavity. Hence, oral health and general health should not be interpreted as separate entities.
In this survey, gender differences were seen in most variables. The findings of this survey were similar to previous studies which have shown the most favorable attitudes of females on issues related to lifestyle and oral health. Ostberg et al.[5] conducted a survey in which it was found that girls scored more favorably on behavioral measures, showed more interest in oral health, and perceived their own oral health to be good to a higher degree than did boys.
Gender was found to be a strong predictor of brushing frequency in earlier studies as well. Hodge et al.[10] found that the reasons for more frequent toothbrushing were esthetic or caused by social norms in the case of women. Verbrugge [11] found that the reasons for more frequent dental visits among women could be esthetic or women may have a greater sensitivity toward illness and discomfort and a willingness to seek help. Results of this survey showed that the oral health behavior of females was better than males; however, this difference was not significant. This could be probably because all the participants included in this study were dental students who had a good knowledge about maintaining oral health.
Among the lifestyle factors, the percentage of distribution of males who had an experience of smoking and drinking was significantly higher than that of females. These findings were similar to those of Royce et al.,[12] who found that women were less likely to be smokers than men, and Wilsnack et al.,[13] who stated that men consistently exceeded women in drinking frequencies and quantities. The percentage distribution of maintaining proper weight and sleeping regularly was significantly higher in females as compared to males. This was similar to the findings of von Bothmer and Fridlund,[14] who found that males were physically inactive and had unhealthy nutritional habits.
Females had significantly lower values for all the three oral health indices as compared to males. These findings were similar to a study conducted by Furuta et al.,[15] who found that females had higher levels of oral health behaviors and better oral hygiene status than males.
| Conclusion | | |
Studies have reported the existence of a gender difference in the occurrence of gingival disease that can be explained by oral health behaviors and hygiene status, which is influenced by lifestyle factors. Hence, the present survey was conducted to find out gender-based differences in occurrence of gingival disease among dental students. The results obtained from this survey support the hypothesis of gender differences, reflecting a higher incidence of gingival disease in males than females.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
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[Table 1], [Table 2], [Table 3], [Table 4], [Table 5]
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