The Periodontal Status and Treatment Needs of Postmenopausal Sudanese Women in Khartoum State

Background: Females experience throughout their lives several periods (puberty, menses, pregnancy and menopause) that characterized by hormonal changes. There are different female sex hormones one of them is the oestrogen (estrogen) which functions as the primary one, and its cessation can be considered as a pathologic factor for the postmenopausal symptoms. Postmenopausal women usually suffer from hot flashes, psychic symptoms osteoporosis in addition to Inability to have children. As menopausal woman's life expectancy increased, greater numbers of women will experience one or more of these problems. The adverse effects of menopause include the oral cavity as well. Gingiva is one of the targeted tissues for oestrogen, hence, senile atrophic gingivitis and menopausal gingivostomatitis were described after menopause. Also various reports have linked oestrogen deficiency and osteopenia/osteoporosis in postmenopausal women to increased alveolar bone resorption, Please purchase PDFcamp Printer on http://www.verypdf.com/ to remove this watermark. VII attachment loss, and tooth loss. Recent studies have observed that postmenopausal women under hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have increased tooth retention and decreased periodontal destruction. On the other hand, it was claimed that the oral cavity is habitated with microorganisms from birth to death, and the interaction of microbial dental plaque and host defence mechanism is considered an important factor in the pathogenesis and onset of periodontal disease. Periodontitis is an inflammation of the supporting tissues of the teeth, and is considered a major cause of tooth loss and edentulousness in adults. Tooth loss diminishes quality of life by causing loss of function and aesthetics and, consequently, selfesteem. Recently, it was observed that the progression of periodontal diseases can be influenced by and-on the other handhas an impact on the individual's systemic condition. The old females constitute a large proportion of the Sudanese population (6%). Periodontal health is important because of its physical and psychological consequences. Numerous studies were Please purchase PDFcamp Printer on http://www.verypdf.com/ to remove this watermark. VIII conducted concerning about periodontitis among postmenopausal women. The majority of the studies had focused on bone loss .However none was done in Sudan. The present research was designed to study the periodontal status and treatment needs, and oral hygiene methods and frequency of this female’s category. Setting:Khartoum state. Objectives:The present study was designed to study periodontal status and treatment needs among postmenopausal Sudanese women. Methods:Three hundreds and eighty healthy postmenopausal women not under Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) were included in the study. The proposal was approved by the Research Committee, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Khartoum and a letter was sent to the administrative authorities of hospitals and centers with a copy of the written consent. All participants in the study signed a written consent after explanation after of the study aim