The periodontal health of lead-exposed children living in a shipyard industrial area

Abstract

In a cross-sectional design, 292 schoolchildren living around a shipyard area, known to be contaminated with lead from shipyard industry, were examined to verify the association between lead exposure and periodontal health. The probing pocket depth (PD), bleeding on probing, plaque and calculus, and the presence of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans ( Aa) in subgingival crevices were recorded. Gingival inflammation was the most common (98%) among children in the area. No significant difference in gingival inflammation was observed between high blood lead (PbB) and low PbB children. The prevalence rate of probing PD of ≥5 mm was 14%. The high PbB group showed more deep pockets at tooth 16 (upper right first permanent molar) and tooth 46 (lower right first permanent molar) than the low PbB group. The odds ratios (ORs) for having probing PD ≥5 mm after adjusting for other factors were 3.63 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.24–10.61; p = 0.02) for tooth 16 and 3.93 (95% CI, 1.18–13.00; p = 0.02) for tooth 46. The presence of Aa was observed in 17% of the children and it significantly increased in high PbB compared with low PbB children at tooth 46 (OR = 5.53, 95% CI: 1.68–18.15; p = 0.005). This study may suggest no association between lead exposure and gingival inflammation, yet there was the involvement of deeper periodontal tissue in lead-exposed children.