PSYCHOSOMATIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SYMPTOMS OF THE POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND ORAL TISSUE STATUS IN MILITARY PERSONNEL

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Introduction. Manifestations of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military personnel may negatively affect the oral cavity, disrupting periodontal tissue homeostasis, promoting dental plaque and calculus accumulation, and exacerbating inflammatory processes.Aim. To determine the characteristics of relationships between PTSD manifestations and oral hygiene and gingival inflammation indices in military personnel depending on their combat experience.Materials and methods. A cross-sectional controlled design was applied. The critical significance level was set at p<0.05. A total of 150 participants were examined: military personnel with combat experience (n=50), military personnel without combat experience (n=50), and civilians (control, n=50). PTSD severity was assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), oral hygiene status was evaluated with the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index OHI-S (Greene – Vermillion), and gingival inflammation with the Papillary-Marginal-Alveolar Index (PMA). Pearson correlation analysis was performed between PCL-5 scores and both OHI-S and PMA indices.Results. In military personnel with combat experience, the mean PCL-5 score was 42.16±6.94 points, OHI-S – 2.67±0.84 points, and PMA – 26.91%, which exceeded the corresponding values of the other groups (p<0.05). In military personnel without combat experience, PCL-5 was 14.50±3.43 points, OHI-S – 1.93±0.40 points, and PMA – 17.8%. Correlation analysis revealed a moderate-to-strong positive relationship between the severity of PTSD symptoms and OHI-S (r=0.622; p<0.001) and PMA (r=0.621; p<0.001) in the combat-experienced group. No statistically significant correlations between PCL-5 scores and dental indices were found in the non-combat group (r=-0.061, p=0.673 and r=-010, p=0.947, respectively).Conclusions. Increased symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of military personnel is associated with deterioration of oral hygiene, dental plaque and calculus accumulation, moderate gingival inflammation, and an increased risk of gingivitis and periodontitis, underscoring the need for a comprehensive approach to the assessment and maintenance of dental health in this population.

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