The participants in this study were 151 women; 49 of these had been taking oral contraceptives for over 5 years, 63 had been taking oral contraceptives for less than 5 years, and 39 formed the control group. It was found that there was a statistically significant increase in gingival inflammation related to the duration of drug therapy. There were no significant differences in level of attachment between the groups of subjects.There have been several studies concerning the effect of oral contraceptives on the gingiva and periodontal tissues. These drugs act by altering the level of estrogen and progesterone. El-Ashiry et al.1 found that there was an increase in clinically assessed inflammation for subjects taking oral contraceptives. Lindhe and Björn2 showed that gingival fluid flow increased during the first 6 months of such medication, and that this was not associated with an increase in dental plaque. The study by Knight and Wade3 found no significant differences between Plaque Index, Gingival Index or loss of attachment between subjects taking oral contraceptives and control subjects. However, there was a trend for subjects who had taken the hormonal drugs for more than 1.5 years to show a higher Gingival Index and more loss of periodontal attachment than those who had taken drugs for less than 1.5 years or those who were not taking hormones. A recent study by Kalkwarf4 has shown that there was no significant difference in the severity of inflammation between subjects taking various combinations and concentrations of hormones although there was significantly more severe gingival inflammation in the group taking oral contraceptives than in the control group.In light of these findings, it was decided that there was a need for longer studies into the gingival status of subjects taking oral contraceptives, and that more work was required to evaluate the effect of these drugs on the periodontal attachment. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the inter-relationship between the responses of the periodontal tissues to plaque in subjects who had been taking oral contraceptives for various periods of time compared with control subjects.The participants in the present study were females between the ages of 18 and 40 years who were attending the Margaret Pyke Centre, London. The subjects were divided into three groups: those who had used oral contraceptives regularly but for less than 5 years; those who had used contraceptives regularly for more than 5 years, and a control group who used an alternative form of contraception. For inclusion in the control group it was stipulated that the subjects must have either never used hormonal contraceptives, or alternatively have terminated a course of therapy of less than 1 year's duration more than 12 months previously.Additional requirements for inclusion in the study were as follows: the subjects were neither pregnant at the time of examination, nor had they been pregnant in the preceding year. The medication being taken by the subjects in the experimental group were ...

Background This paper describes the socio-demographics and oral health of secondary school pupils. They were participants of the BRIGHT trial, which was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a toothbrushing intervention to reduce dental caries. Methods Overall, 4680 pupils aged 11-13 years attending 42 secondary schools in England, Scotland, and Wales with above average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals were recruited to the trial. Socio-demographic data were collected. Participants had a clinical assessment for caries, plaque and bleeding and completed measures of oral and general health-related quality of life and oral health behaviours (frequency of toothbrushing, dental attendance and cariogenic food/drinks consumed). Regression analyses were performed. Results Over one-third (34.7%) of participants had caries experience with 44.5% reporting their oral health had an impact on their daily lives. Factors associated with a statistically significant increased likelihood of caries experience were older age, females, eligibility for free school meals, worse oral health-related quality of life, higher cariogenic intake, less than twice-daily toothbrushing, living in a more deprived area and lower school attendance. Conclusions The prevalence and impact of dental caries on the lives of pupils remains high with further oral health promotion activities needed in targeted secondary schools. Trial registration: ISRCTN12139369.