Effect of Stress on Periodontal Health: A Clinical Study
Author(s): Vindhiya Varshini V and Arvina Rajasekar*
Abstract
Stress has become a part of one's life, which results in development of depression and anxiety. This psychological stress is generally thought to have a negative effect on periodontal health. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of stress on periodontal health among the dental students. A 10- item DAS (Depression, Anxiety and Stress) questionnaire designed to measure the severity of a range of symptoms common to DAS, a validated questionnaire was distributed among 100 undergraduate dental students of a private college. Followed by, periodontal parameters such as presence or absence of pocket depth of more than 3 mm and clinical attachment loss were assessed. The results obtained from the survey were tabulated, analysed and represented graphically using SPSS software (Version 23). Out of 100 students, 64% of them presented with pocket depth of more than 3mm and 63% of them presented with clinical attachment loss. The association between stress and periodontal parameters was found to be statistically significant. The present study suggests that dental students with extremely severe levels of depression, anxiety and stress presented with increased pocket depth and clinical attachment loss. Therefore, psychological factors have an adverse effect on periodontal health.