Gum disease has been found to cause heart disease because of the increased production of the C-Reactive Protein. The level of the C Reactive Protein decreases when the gum disease is treated. It is therefore interesting to find that a similar mechanism can affect the outcome of childbirth.
A recent study that appeared in the American Journal Of Obstetrics and Gynecology showed that gum disease can cause premature labor. Among 1020 pregnant women who were followed in pregnancy, 28.6% women with moderate to severe periodontal disease had preterm delivery as compared to 11.2% of women with no periodontal disease. The authors concluded that gum disease in pregnancy is a predictor of premature labor.
Hence dental care should not stop in pregnancy. It will be more prudent for women who want to get pregnant to see their dentist to give them a clean bill of dental health before they get pregnant.
Reference:
Offenbacher et al
Obst Gynec. 2006, 107:29-36
No comments:
Post a Comment