Assessment of attitude and awareness of oral health changes in females during menstrual cycle: A questionnaire-based survey

Abstract

Background: Menstrual cycle is one of the phases in a woman's life wherein there are multiple physiological changes in the body. Various phases of menstrual cycle show a different physiological behavioral pattern of the body as well as hormonal changes which can lead to multiple changes in the oral cavity. Aims: The aim of this study is to assess the attitude and awareness of oral health changes in females during menstrual cycle. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted as a cross-sectional study among the general population of Karnataka, India. A self-administered semi-structured questionnaire consisting of 19 questions was used to assess the attitude and awareness of oral health changes in females during menstruation. Data were entered in Excel and analyzed using IBM SPSS statistics version 22. Results: In the present study, a total of 300 females participated comprising different age groups, of which maximum participants were in the age group of 18–24 years. 57.7% of population had a duration of 28–30 days' menstrual cycle. About 44.3% of participants had experienced an overall health change. 18.3% of participants experienced oral changes, of which 15% of participants had developed aphthous ulcers. 7.3% of participants experienced bleeding gums. 81.3% of participants believed that the use of antimicrobial mouthwash reduces bad breath and 55.7% believed that brushing twice can reduce swelling of gums. Conclusion: This study gives an inference that participants were though aware of menstruation and related complaints, but they were not aware of oral changes occurring during the cycle.