Periodontal Disease in Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Nigerian Women: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease which results in the destruction of connective tissue, alveolar bone, gingival bleeding, compromised aesthetics, recurrent periodontal infections, tooth mobility and eventual tooth loss. Various female hormonal alterations predispose postmenopausal women to several oral disorders. This study compared periodontal disease in premenopausal and postmenopausal Nigerian women. Methodology: A cross-sectional analytical study at the Oral diagnosis and Oral medicine clinics in a large tertiary hospital, involving 35 premenopausal and 35 postmenopausal women within the ages of 40 to 60 years using a multistage sampling method. An interviewer-administered questionnaire, and oral examination was used to determine the prevalence of periodontitis in postmenopausal women. All participants were evaluated for periodontitis using Oral Hygiene Index (OHI), Community Periodontal Index for Treatment Needs (CPITN), and severity of periodontitis. Analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 26 software. Chi-square and Fischer’s exact tests were used to test the relationship between outcome and independent variables. P-values ≤ 0.05 were statistically significant at a 95% confidence interval. Results: the mean value of CPITN was statistically higher in postmenopausal women (1.49±1.2) compared with premenopausal women (0.91±0.8). The mean value of OHI was also statistically higher in postmenopausal women (1.49 ±0.9) than premenopausal women (1.07 ±0.8). Conclusions: Postmenopausal women are more predisposed to periodontal disease compared with premenopausal women, which could be due to low oestrogen levels associated with menopause. Regular dental consultations and good oral hygiene practices are crucial in this population and will significantly influence periodontal health.