Factors Associated with Gingival Bleeding in Puerperal Women at thePublic Maternities in Salvador- BA, 2011

The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with gingivitis, measured by gingival bleeding on probing in postpartum women of the public hospitals in Salvador, Bahia, in 2011. A structured questionnaire was applied to 309 women followed by a complete periodontal examination that allowed, among other procedures, the identification of the presence of plaque, gingival margin evaluation and presence of gingival bleeding on probing. A proportion of 33.8% of the sites examined showed bleeding on probing. Most showed more than 25% of the sites probed with visible plaque (72%) and 58.3% of the sample was diagnosed with gingivitis. There was a positive association between the visible plaque index and the diagnosis of gingivitis (PR = 1.62 95% CI 1.25 to 2.15), 38.5% had some type of change in self-care during pregnancy; however, only 29.7% reported having visited a dentist. The group with lower education had 23% more gingivitis compared to the group that studied more than eight years (PR = 1.23 95% CI 1.01 to 1.49). Noteworthy was the high prevalence of gingivitis in postpartum women, reinforcing the importance of motivation and maintenance of oral hygiene in preventing or reducing the severity of inflammatory changes mediated by hormonal changes during pregnancy.