Asian Journal of Dental Sciences

Background: Oral contraceptives OCs drugs considered as a risk factor for the initiation and progression of periodontal diseases. They affect the oral health by causing gingival redness, bleeding, enlargement, tooth mobility and reduce the quality of female's life.

Aims: The aims of this study were to assess the awareness of women at reproductive age about the effect of oral contraceptive drugs on their periodontal and oral health, assess knowledge about the effect of contraceptive pills on the periodontal health and assess oral hygiene habits among women using contraceptive pills.

Methodology: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in Military hospital in Omdurman, Sudan, from December 2018 to March 2019. A designed questionnaire was used to collect data. We collected data on demographic such as age and educational level, awareness about OCs drugs and their effect on oral and periodontal health and the oral hygiene practice of women at reproductive age. We followed convenience method to select study participants. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 23 and in frequencies and proportions were calculated. Results presented in tables and graphs.

Results: A total number of 205 women, with mean age 31 were selected to participate in this study.85% of investigated women used OCs drugs for more than one year. Most of the study participants (54%), their educational level was university. Almost, 91% of women did not aware that OCs drugs affect the periodontal and oral health and 77% of them didn’t get scaling after they begin using OCs drugs .Regarding oral hygiene habits, 53.2 % of women brushed their teeth twice per day and 92% used floriated tooth paste.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that high percentage of women at reproductive age who used OCs drugs didn’t aware about the effects of these drugs on their oral and periodontal health.