THE IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE PERIODONTAL HEALTH

The stress going into distress is one of the systemic risk indicators for development of periodontal diseases. This study aims to examine whether the studied contingent was subjected to the influence of the risk indicator stress. The study was conducted between January and March 2011 among 228 patients with chronic periodontitis. Respondents were interviewed using a specially designed questionnaire. Patients' periodontal status is determined using the Public periodontal index. Statistical data processing was performed with SPSS v.17. Almost 68% of respondents were influenced by this risk indicator. The relative units of patients under stress in both sexes and in all three age groups are almost equal, about 70%. In the sample (95.08 ± 2.77%) of the men under stress are smoking, which means that they are using this bad habit to mitigate tension. The lack of work is not a stressor for the patients in the sample.