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Oral Hygiene Status and Gingivitis in Overweight and Obese Children
Plamena T Sapunarova1, Tanya I Nihtyanova1, Svetla G Petrova1
1Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv , Bulgaria.
Insights
Increased body mass index (BMI) in children is not directly linked to gingivitis. However, poor oral hygiene was found to be strongly associated with gender in the study.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric health
- Oral hygiene
- Public health
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
- Obesity and periodontal diseases share common risk factors.
- Understanding the link between weight and oral health in children is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the oral hygiene status in children with elevated body mass index (BMI).
- To determine the prevalence of gingivitis among children with increased BMI.
- To explore potential correlations between BMI and oral health indicators in school-aged children.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 1826 school children aged 6-11.
- Oral hygiene assessed using Silness-Loe plaque and Green-Vermillion calculus indices.
- Gingivitis presence or absence was recorded.
Main Results:
- The study included 1826 children (953 boys, 921 girls).
- BMI distribution: 5% underweight, 66.5% normal weight, 17.7% overweight, 10.8% obese.
- No significant correlation found between BMI and gingivitis, or between age and BMI.
Conclusions:
- Increased BMI is not an independent predictor of gingivitis in children.
- Poor oral hygiene is significantly associated with gender, not BMI.
- Further research may explore gender-specific oral hygiene interventions.
Introduction:
Obesity poses a significant health risk to our society with prevalence that has dramatically increased in children. Obesity and periodontal diseases share many common risk factors.
Aim:
To study the oral hygiene status and prevalence of gingivitis in children with increased body mass index.
Materials And Methods:
A cross-sectional study was performed in Plovdiv, October-December 2017 and January-March 2018 among 1826 school children aged 6-11. The oral hygiene status was determined using Silness-Loe plaque index and Green-Vermillion calculus index assessed on vestibular surfaces of first maxillary permanent molars and one maxillary and one mandibular central permanent incisor, and lingual surfaces of mandibular first permanent molars. The condition of the gingiva was determined as presence or absence of gingivitis.
Results:
The study included 1826 children (953 boys and 921 girls). With regard to BMI, the distribution should be 5% underweight, 66.5% normal weight, 17.7% overweight, and 10.8% obese, as in the text below. There was no significant correlation between age and BMI. No significant correlation was found between BMI and gingivitis (.
Conclusion:
Increased BMI is not an independent predictor of gingivitis. Poor oral hygiene is strongly associated only with gender.
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