title: Influence of sex hormone levels on gingival enlargement in adolescent patients undergoing fixed orthodontic therapy: A pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sex hormones may be a modifying factor in the periodontal disease pathogenesis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The association between gingival enlargement and sex hormone levels in adolescent patients undergoing fixed orthodontic therapy needs to be determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted in the Department of Periodontology in association with the Department of Orthodontics, Yenepoya Dental College, Yenepoya University, Mangaluru.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pilot study was conducted on 21 adolescent patients between the age group of 13-19 years, who had undergone fixed orthodontic therapy for at least 3 months. Apicocoronally, the gingival enlargement was assessed by the index described by Miller and Damm. Miranda and Brunet index was used to assess gingival overgrowth in the buccal-lingual direction in the interdental papilla. Furthermore, the patients were assigned to two groups - Group 1-GE and Group 2-non-GE. Sex hormones assessed were estradiol and progesterone in females and testosterone in males in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  57.1% of the study population had enlargement of the gingiva. The mean plaque score was 0.59 and 0.56, respectively, in both groups. A statistically significant relationship was found between estradiol and testosterone levels with gingival enlargement. However, a significant relationship was not obtained for progesterone levels with the gingival enlargement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Direct correlation between estradiol, testosterone, and gingival enlargement was seen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Yenepoya Dental College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India; Department of Periodontics, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Melaka, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hosadurga
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Yenepoya Dental College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Nabeel Althaf
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Yenepoya Dental College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Shashikanth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hegde
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Yenepoya Dental College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Kashyap S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Rajesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Yenepoya Dental College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Arun Kumar
keywords: Adolescents; fixed orthodontic therapy; gingival enlargement; sex hormones