Background: As individuals grow older, they may be more susceptible to chronic diseases, which can affect their overall health. Periodontitis, for instance, is one of the most common oral diseases that result from prolonged exposure to pathogens. The main etiology of periodontitis is dental biofilms, but several risk factors may also affect the progression of the disease. Purpose: The study aimed to determine whether there was an association between age, gender and education level and the severity of periodontitis using the 2017 American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) classification. Methods: A retrospective analytical study was used to determine the stage and grade of periodontitis in relation to age, gender and education level. Secondary data in the form of medical record status was analysed using software applications. Results: The distribution of periodontitis was 66.7% in pre-elderly patients (45–59 years), 61.5% in male subjects and 39.7% in individuals with middle education levels. Using chi-square analysis, the severity of periodontitis showed a statistically significant correlation with age (p=0.01) and gender (p=0.003). In contrast, the level of education was not statistically correlated to the severity of periodontitis (p=0.887). The percentage of stage IV grade B was highest in elderly patients (65.38%), while stage IV grade C was the highest in male subjects (41.67%). Conclusion: The study showed that age and gender significantly influenced the occurrence and severity of periodontitis, while education level showed the opposite.

BACKGROUND: The presence of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine is very important to produce an immune response that slows down the pandemic. AIM: This study aims to find out more about the perspective of the Indonesian people which is predicted to affect vaccine acceptance by the public. METHODS: Quantitative research was conducted using an online survey via a Google form. The survey was conducted from January to February 2021. RESULTS: There were 225 respondents. The attitude of the community towards the COVID-19 vaccination program, almost all respondents know the free vaccination program (94.4%) and know the purpose of the program (91.8%). There were 23% of respondents who felt that after being vaccinated they would be free from COVID-19 infection and 2.4% stated that they no longer needed to apply health protocols after being vaccinated. There were 8.2% who did not agree with the reasons they did not know its effectiveness, were worried about the side effects and were unsure about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. CONCLUSION: In general, self-confidence, comfort, calculation of benefits versus disadvantages, and shared responsibility, influence a person’s decision to refuse or accept the vaccine.

Abstract-Plaque induced gingival disease is the result of an interaction between the microorganisms found in the dental plaque biofilm and the tissues and inflammatory cells of the host. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) are the first protection for tissues of the mouth and body. At the time of bacterial phagocytes, PMN leukocyte and macrophage cells produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS will be issued on the tissue and can cause tissue damage through various mechanisms. ROS may cause oxidative stress, which is a condition an imbalance of ROS production and endogenous. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an endogenous antioxidant present in saliva counteracts against superoxide, SOD functions to catalyze the reaction dismutase of superoxide anion ROS into hydrogen peroxide and oxygen. Scaling therapy is the most commonly used procedure for treating gingivitis and periodontitis. Non-surgical therapy can restore and control both local and systemic antioxidant capacity such as modifying SOD levels and more. Previous studies have suggested superoxide dismutase levels in gingivitis patients higher after nonsurgical treatment, there are also studies suggesting higher levels of superoxide dismutase before nonsurgical treatment. This research is an experimental research with pre and posttest design. Was performed at the Periodontics Installation Faculty of Dentistry USU, with 12 subjects with gingivitis plaque induced only, the measurement of superoxide dismutase was performed twice before scaling and after scaling (PBI <5). 2 ml saliva was examined by spectrophotometry method and analyzed using t-paired test. The levels of superoxide dismutase in saliva before scaling (13.59 ± 4.59) higher than after scaling (9.66 ± 4.75), the difference was not significant (p= 0.09, p> 0.05). There was a difference in superoxide dismutase levels in saliva patients Gingivitis plaque induced only before and after scaling.

Periodontal disease can be divided into gingivitis and periodontitis. In oral tissue, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) are the first defense against pathogenic microorganisms. Activated PMNs produce large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause the destruction of periodontal tissue via various mechanisms and oxidative stress. Hosts are able to release antioxidants to eliminate ROS; one of the most effective antioxidants is superoxide dismutase (SOD). Previous studies have suggested that antioxidant levels, including SOD, are higher for periodontitis than for gingivitis or healthy people. In contrast, previous research has also found that levels of antioxidants, including SOD, were higher in healthy people followed by gingivitis and then periodontitis. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine differences in salivary SOD levels in patients with gingivitis and periodontitis. This was an analytic study with a cross-sectional design. There were 44 subjects: 22 with gingivitis and 22 with periodontitis recruited from the periodontal installation of the Dentistry Faculty, University of Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia. All subjects' periodontal tissues were examined to determine their periodontal status. Subjects were sampled by collecting 2 ml of saliva and salivary SOD levels were measured using a spectrophotometer. The data was analysed using an independent t-test. Result: The results showed a significant difference (p<0.05) between salivary SOD levels of gingivitis patients (12.44±4.43, p=0.377) and periodontitis patients (9.19±3.74, p=0.228). Salivary SOD levels were higher in patients with gingivitis than for patients with periodontitis.

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease of the tissues surrounding the teeth. Periodontal disease during pregnancy is cor-related with adverse pregnancyoutcomes such as prematurity, low birth weight, preeclampsia, and miscarriage. Midwifery stu-dents who will practice need to know about periodontal health inpregnant women. This descriptive study is aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of midwifery students at STIKes Senior Medan about periodontal health for pregnant women, with the number of research samples was 102 female students. The tests used are validity tests, reliability tests and des-criptive statistical analysis. The questionnaire is valid and reliable except for items number 3 for knowledge and 5 for attitude so it is deleted. The resultsshowed that the level of knowledge and attitudes and behaviour of STIKes senior midwifery students about the periodontal health of pregnant women is in the good category.