A periodontal evaluation as part of prenatal care may become more commonplace based on research that found that women with gingivitis who received periodontal therapy before 28 weeks of gestation had a significantly lower incidence of preterm low birthweight than women who did not receive periodontal therapy. A study published in the Journal of Periodontology found a significant association between gingivitis and preterm birth after adjusting for the major risk factors for preterm delivery. This suggests that gingivitis, the earliest form of periodontal disease, is an independent risk factor for preterm birth and low birthweight. Periodontal therapy reduced preterm birth and low-birthweight infant rates by 68% in women with pregnancy-associated gingivitis. This study is in concordance with 2 intervention studies, in which periodontal treatment reduced the incidence of preterm births and low-birth- weight infants between 71% and 84% in pregnant women with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis. Ideally, women should begin their pregnancy without periodontal infections, and they should be educated and motivated to maintain a high level of oral hygiene prior to and throughout pregnancy. If periodontal infection is diagnosed at any time during pregnancy, the treatment should be administered as soon as possible in order to reduce the risk of preterm birth and low birthweight.
(Source: American Academy of Periodontology, November 2005)
