The Effects of Oral Contraceptives on the Periodontium

Objectives: Women using hormonal contraceptive can be considered to be ‘risk group' for periodontal disease due to prolonged, sustained serum levels of estrogens and progesterone. This investigation aims to study the effects of hormonal contraceptive on periodontal tissues. Methods: 35 women using hormonal contraceptive for at least 2 years and 35 non-users selected for this study. Both the case and the control groups were matched for age, education, occupation, oral habits and oral health care. The case and the control group were examined clinically for plaque level, gingival index, probing depth, bleeding on probing and attachment loss. Results: The users of hormonal contraceptives had higher gingival inflammation comparing to the non-users. The gingival index and bleeding on probing in case group were higher than controls (P<0.0001,T test). Plaque index of the two groups did not show any statistically significant difference. There were no significant differences in pocket depth and attachment level between two groups. Conclusion: The oral contraceptives can increase gingival inflammation but do not aggravate the periodontal breakdowns