PERIODONTAL STATUS OF PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM MOTHERS AGED 18-45 YEARS ATTENDING MCH CLINICS IN TANGA MUNICIPALITY, TANZANIA

One hundred pregnant women and another hundred women post-partum age 1 8 - 45 years were examined at Maternal and Child Health (MCH) clinics in Tanga Municipality, to determine their periodontal health status. T he sample was selected by using convenient sampling method. Plaque was assessed as absent, score 0 and present, score 1, while calculus, gin givitis, shallow pockets and deep pockets were assessed according to t he Community Periodontal Index for Treatment Needs (CPITN), for each o f the six sextant examined. Findings were recorded on a special prepar ed oral health assessment form. Data analysis was done using SPSS Pc+. Results revealed that the majority of women examined had gingival ble eding and plaque on about 50% of the sextants during pregnancy as well as after delivery. Postpartum women in the age group 18-34 years had a higher number or sextants with plaque, calculus and gingivitis than pregnant women in the same age group both in the second and third trim ester of pregnancy (p< 0.05). During the third trimester of pregnancy, women in the age group 18-34 had more sextants with plaque, calculus and gingival bleeding than women in the second trimester of pregnancy (p< 0.05). However, in the age group 35-45 women in the second trimest er of pregnancy had more sextants with plaque, calculus and gingival b leeding than women in the third trimester of pregnancy (p< 0.05). Wome n postpartum in all age groups had shallow pockets, while in pregnant women they were found in the age group 25-45 in the second trimester a nd only in the age group 35-45 in the third trimester. Deep pockets we re found only in the third trimester among the women aged 35-45 years. The findings of this study will establish a baseline data for future monitoring and evaluation of the oral health activities being carried out in the MCH clinics in Tanga municipality.