European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Background: Street children often carry out activities on the streets, which causes them to be exposed to lead at a much higher rate than the average person. Apart from being found in exhaust gases and motor vehicle batteries, lead can also be present in cigarette smoke. The high frequency of street children being exposed to different sources of lead will make them more at risk of developingthe gingival lead lines.Aim: To analyze the effect of pollution exposure on street children in SDN Kota Lama 5 Malang with the occurrence of gingival lead line. Method: This research is observational analytic research with a cross-sectional approach. The research samples are street children from SDN Kota Lama 5 Malang, with a total of 30 children. The data obtained were the results of direct measurements of the upper anterior gingiva (canines, central incisors, right and left lateral incisors).Results: A 2nd-degree description of gingival lead line is found to be the most prevalent, with a percentage of 53.3% of 30 street children having it.Furthermore, every street child who lives in the street for 7–12 months was found to have either a 2nd-degree or a 3rd-degree description of the gingival lead line. The longer the child is in the street, the higher the number of children affected by a 2nd-degree or a 3rd-degree description of the gingival lead line, followed by another risk factor such as their smoking habits.Conclusion: The pollution exposure on street children affects the incidence of gingival lead lines, such as the amount of time the children are in the street, the intensity of their eating habits while in the street, their smoking activities and their use of protective masks for themselves.