Comparison of oral mucosal lesions and gingival, periodontal indices among pregnant and non pregnant women-an observational cross-sectional study

Objective: To assess the number and type of oral mucosal lesions, the gingival and periodontal status in ninety pregnant women compared with ninety non pregnant women. Methodology: A cross-sectional observational controlled study was carried out on 90 pregnant and 90 non-pregnant women exhibiting a similar age distribution. The following variables were documented- number and type of oral mucosal lesions, gingival index (G.I) as given by LOE and SILLNESS and Community Periodontal Index (C.P.I). Results: The frequency of oral mucosal lesions were greater among pregnant women when compared to those who were non-pregnant. The scores of G.I and C.P.I in the pregnant group when compared to control group were statistically significant (p=0.00). Conclusion: Pregnancy was found to be a decisive factor for development of oral mucosal lesions and periodontal disease.