Potential association between oral contraceptives and oral diseases: A meta-analysis

Background: Oral contraceptives (OCs) have been related to several systemic and oral diseases. Among oral diseases, the frequently encountered are periodontal diseases and alveolar osteitis. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the possible association between OC and oral diseases. Materials and Methods: A PubMed search through 2018 considering the following medical subject headings terms “contraceptive agents” and “mouth diseases” was carried out. Studies with findings on OCs and mouth diseases were assessed. From 81 studies with full-text availability, 52 were excluded for several reasons: No clinical data (21), no usable/irrelevant data (26), and studies without a control group (5). Statistical Analysis: RevMan 5.3 statistical program was used to analyze the results. The odds ratio (OR) with the Mantel-Haenszel method (dichotomous data) and the mean difference with the inverse variance method (continuous data), both with 95% confidence intervals were utilized. Results: Main risk factors for osteitis alveolar were OC intake (OR: 2.32) and female gender (OR: 1.44). OC intake significantly influenced a greater bleeding on probing (P < 0.01) and a greater clinical attachment level loss (P = 0.03). On the contrary, it had no influence on other periodontal parameters such as plaque index, gingival index, or probing depth. Conclusions: OC intake is closely linked to the risk of alveolar osteitis and, to a lesser extent, to periodontal disease risk.