STRESS RELATED PERIODONTITIS AMONGST INDUSTRIAL WORKERS

Abstract

 Stress is modulated by factors like work load, routine and lifestyle. Stress has a strong impact on periodontal status and disease activity, a globally accepted phenomenon, but unfortunately not backed up by sufficient epidemiological data, in Pakistan. Present study was conducted to assess the correlation of periodontal disease with stress and factors affecting stress in industrial workers of Lahore. This study included 200 male factory workers employed at metal injection molding factory in Lahore. The presence of stress was assessed using a questionnaire while periodontal health status was assessed using CPITN index. The age of the subjects ranged from 22 to 58 (mean age 38.06 9.87). Workers age ranged 20-29 years had a mean CPITN score of 1.90 0.82 and mean stress of 25.98 10.03. On the other hand workers between 50 and 59 years had mean CPITN 3.44 0.56 and mean stress 46.19 8.33. Working hours, smoking, betel nut use, sleep timings, number of meals, brushing habits along with permanent or contractual jobs had a statistically significant impact on stress. In conclusion the data suggested stress had a direct relationship towards the development of periodontal disease. The contributing factors like smoking, betel nut use, job contract, work hours, meals and sleeping hours increase stress and eventually increase periodontal disease.