Association between gingivitis severity and lifestyle habits in young Saudi Arabian males

Gingivitis is a risk factor for periodontitis, which is associated with several systemic disorders. Adolescence provides an opportunity to establish good oral health practices but there are few studies on gingivitis in adolescents.

This study assessed the association between lifestyle habits and gingivitis severity in young Saudi Arabian males.

A sample of Saudi Arabian males (n = 685) aged 13-15 years from Dammam and Khobar were included in a cross-sectional study in 2016. A questionnaire assessed socioeconomic background and daily lifestyle habits - tooth-brushing, current smoking and consumption of sugary drinks and foods. Clinical examinations recorded plaque and gingival indices on 6 index teeth. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of gingivitis severity with tooth-brushing and smoking adjusted for sugary drinks and foods, socioeconomic factors and dental plaque.

The response rate was 96.2%. Only 38% of the respondents brushed their teeth twice daily, 10.2% smoked, and 82.8% and 68.3% consumed sugary drinks and sugary foods respectively. The prevalence of plaque and gingivitis was 87.9% and 73.9% respectively. Tooth-brushing was not significantly associated with more severe gingivitis (regression coefficient = 0.17; 95% CI: -0.16 to 0.49). Current smoking was significantly associated with more severe gingivitis only when consuming sugary drinks (regression coefficient = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.04 to 1.22).

Gingivitis severity was not associated with tooth-brushing but significantly increased with smoking when sugary drinks were used, indicating the effect of unhealthy lifestyle on gingival health, and the need to promote healthy lifestyle habits in this age group.