Year : 2023

Volume : Volume 14

Issue : Issue 3

Address for correspondence :
Dr. Prakash Chandra Jha
drprakashjha@gmail.com

Abstract

 Background: Oral changes observed during pregnancy have been studied, but their magnitude and frequency have not been stressed on. This 
study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions (OML) among pregnant women attending the dental outpatient 
department (OPD) in a government hospital in Patna, Bihar, Eastern India. Materials and Methods: Women with confirmed pregnancy aged 
18 years and older, attending the dental OPD over a period of 6 months from August 2021 to January 2022 formed the study population. 
Clinical examination was performed according to the World Health Organization guidelines by a single examiner. Diagnosis was made on the 
basis of clinical features of the lesion. Data obtained were analyzed descriptively. Results: The prevalence of OML was 38.37%. The most 
commonly encountered lesions were pregnancy gingivitis, followed by burning mouth syndrome, geographic tongue, ulceration, melanosis/
 pigmentation, gingival enlargement, morsicatio buccarum, and pregnancy tumor/pyogenic granuloma. Conclusion: Higher prevalence of 
OML in pregnant women indicates the importance of timely oral examination and subsequent treatment plans