Depression Levels in Relation to Oral Hygiene, Gingival Health Status, and Salivary Constituents in a Group of Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aim: In this study, the effects of depression on oral hygiene, gingival health conditions, and some salivary components (total protein, magnesium, and calcium) were explored.

Materials and methods: A total of 207 dental students aged 20-21 years (third grade) in a College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq, were examined. They were distributed into four groups (normal, mild depression, moderate depression, and severe and very severe depression) according to the Patient Health Questionnaire for Depression Scoring. Oral examinations include oral hygiene (dental plaque and calculus) and gingival health status; samples were collected from 90 participants to serve as a sub-sample of the total sample and classified as follows: normal (22), mild depression (24), moderate depression (22), and moderately severe and severe depression (22) groups. Then, saliva samples were analyzed to determine the total protein, magnesium, and calcium. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21 was used to analyze the data.

Results: The mean value of oral hygiene and gingival indices increased significantly with increasing severity of depression. For salivary calcium and magnesium, their values decreased with increasing severity of depression, whereas total protein values increased. Salivary calcium and magnesium were negatively correlated with oral hygiene and the gingival indices, and the highest correlations of total proteins with plaque index, calculus index, and gingival index were positive.

Conclusions: Depressive feelings were observed in dental students. In reality, depression has a close link with oral hygiene and gingival health status, and normal constituents of saliva could be affected.