ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with changes in behavioral, neurophysiological, and neuroendocrinological factors and thought to be one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. There are various evidences that depression and periodontitis may also be related. AIM: The aim was to evaluate the association between MDD and periodontitis in a convenience sample of hospital outpatients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty individuals (30 subjects with MDD and 30 subjects without MDD) of age 26-67 years were included in the study. Depression was assessed by means of structured clinical interview for diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. The periodontal clinical examination included the number of missing teeth, plaque index, gingival index (GI), probing pocket depth, and clinical attachment level (CAL). RESULTS: Mean number of missing teeth per patient was 1.14 (±1.2 standard deviation [SD]) in the control group and 2.58 (±1.64 SD) in case group (P < 0.001). The amount of plaque was significantly higher in cases compared with control (P = 0.001). The patients had an average GI of 1.82 (±0.65 SD) compared to 1.14 (±0.81 SD) for the controls (P < 0.001). Mean probing depth and CAL were 4.67 (±0.8 SD) mm and 4.96 (±0.2 SD) mm in the case group and 2.6 (±2.2 SD) mm and 2.7 (±0.43 SD) mm in the control group, respectively (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study confirms the significant association between depression and periodontitis and depression can be considered one of the important risk factors for periodontal diseases.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Presence of plaque may be the culprit for dental caries, gingivitis, periodontal problems, and halitosis. Many mechanical aids are practiced worldwide to remove or control plaque, including tooth brushes, dental floss, mouth rinses, and dentifrices. The objective of this clinical study was to investigate the effectiveness of herbal toothpaste (Dabur Red) in controlling plaque and gingivitis, as compared to conventional (non-herbal) dentifrice (Pepsodent). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 30 subjects aged 35-43 years with established gingivitis and at least 20 natural teeth, and having a probing depth <3 mm were investigated. After the washout period, plaque and gingival index (PI and GI, respectively) scores were assessed at days 0 and 30. Differences between groups were compared with Mann-Whitney U test and the mean scores of PI and GI by Wilcoxon test. Statistical difference between the weights of dentifrices tubes on days 0 and 30 was evaluated by Student's t-test. RESULTS: At the end of 30 days of the study, there was statistically significant difference between both the groups for plaque and gingival scores. CONCLUSION: After 30 days of trial, both test and control groups showed effective reduction of plaque and gingivitis, which was statistically significant. No adverse reactions to dentifrices products were observed during the trial. It was concluded that herbal dentifrice was as effective as non-herbal dentifrices in the control of plaque and gingivitis.
