Is sexual dysfunction associated with periodontal status in perimenopausal women?: A pilot study

Abstract

Objective The current study aimed to investigate the possible relationship between periodontal status and sexual dysfunction in perimenopausal women. Materials and Methods This study was conducted on 106 participants. After the evaluation of the sexual functioning of participants with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), their periodontal status and decayed–missing–filled teeth (DMFT) were assessed using appropriate indexes and obtained results were recorded for comparisons. Participants were divided into two groups by the periodontal status. Patients with periodontitis were grouped by the stage and the extent of the disease. Besides, participants were grouped according to the bleeding on probing (BOP) ratios for more detailed analyses. Results A negative significant correlation was observed between total FSFI scores and each of the clinical periodontal parameters. Total FSFI scores and the scores of arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain domains were significantly lower in periodontitis patients (p < .05). When the patients were grouped as having localized or generalized periodontitis or whether they had stage‐I, ‐II, and ‐III periodontitis, no statistically significant differences were observed in the distribution of general sexual dysfunction parameters across the groups (p > .05). Conclusion Periodontal status in perimenopausal women may be associated with sexual dysfunction.