Table 3.
Distribution of oral health parameters according to blood lead level quartiles
| Total (n = 137) |
Quartile I (n = 35) |
Quartile II (n = 34) |
Quartile III (n = 34) |
Quartile IV (n = 34) |
P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. (%) | No. (%) | No. (%) | No. (%) | No. (%) | ||
| Presence of dental caries | ||||||
| DMFT (mean ± SD) | 1.5 ± 1.9 | 1.4 ± 1.5 | 1.7 ± 2.3 | 1.1 ± 1.5 | 1.7 ± 2.1 | 0.477a |
| History of dental caries (DMFT ≥1) | ||||||
| Yes | 63 (46.0) | 11 (31.4) | 17 (50.0) | 18 (52.9) | 17 (50.0) | 0.252* |
| No | 74 (54.0) | 24 (68.6) | 17 (50.0) | 16 (47.1) | 17 (50.0) | |
| Community periodontal index | ||||||
| mean ± SD | 1.1 ± 0.8 | 0.9 ± 0.8 | 1.2 ± 0.7 | 1.2 ± 0.7 | 1.1 ± 0.8 | 0.358a |
| 0 | 34 (27.8) | 13 (41.9) | 7 (23.3) | 4 (12.1) | 10 (31.3) | 0.083 |
| ≥ 1 | 92 (73.0) | 18 (58.1) | 23 (76.7) | 29 (87.9) | 22 (68.8) | |
| Gingival index | ||||||
| mean ± SD | 2.1 ± 0.9 | 1.8 ± 0.9 | 2.1 ± 0.8 | 2.3 ± 0.7 | 2.0 ± 0.9 | 0.150a |
| ≤ 1 | 37 (28.5) | 15 (42.9) | 8 (23.5) | 5 (14.7) | 11 (32.4) | 0.061 * |
| 2-3 | 98 (71.5) | 20(57.1) | 26 (76.5) | 29 (85.3) | 23 (67.6) | |
| Plaque index | ||||||
| mean ± SD | 2.6 ± 0.5 | 2.4 ± 0.5 | 2.6 ± 0.5 | 2.7 ± 0.4 | 2.7 ± 0.5 | 0.015 a |
| ≤ 2 | 56 (40.9) | 21 (60.0) | 15 (44.1) | 9 (26.5) | 11(32.4) | 0.025 * |
| 3 | 81 (59.1) | 14 (40.0) | 19 (55.9) | 25 (73.5) | 23 (67.6) | |
Abbreviations: DMFT decayed/missing/filled surfaces of permanent teeth, CPI community periodontal index, GI gingival index, PI plaque index
*p-value obtained from χ2-test
aData analyzed by ANOVA
Italics are statistically significant (p<0.05)