Sleep deprivation and chronic periodontitis

Background: Deficits in daytime performance due to sleep loss are experienced universally and associated with a significant social, financial, and human cost. Overall, immunity decreases, a state of systemic inflammation with increased inflammatory markers ensues, and several hormones become up regulated. Underlying mechanisms involve modulation of immune inflammatory mechanisms. These changes might contribute to potentiation of destructive periodontal disease. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess if there is an association of sleep deprivation with chronic periodontal diseases. Materials and Methods: Hundred sleep deprived subjects were taken and their Periodontal status was assessed by gingival index and pocket probing depth. All the study subjects were administered Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire for the assessment of sleep deprivation. Results: Present investigation revealed that mean PSQI was highest in the subjects with chronic periodontitis compared to normal and gingivitis subjects and the difference among three groups was statistically significant. Conclusion: The present study with preliminary results suggests that there is association between sleep deprivation and severity of periodontal disease. Hence, there is a need for future studies with larger samples to understand how sleep habits can influence periodontitis.