No alcohol, avoid sushi, limit your caffeine intake…brush and floss? The importance of keeping your body healthy during pregnancy is common knowledge, but new studies suggest maintaining good oral health may be especially important during pregnancy, and poor oral hygiene can have some serious consequences. In the absence of adequate oral hygiene, periodontal bacteria accumulate in the gingival crevice. This bacteria may enter the bloodstream, disseminating throughout the body and triggering the induction of systemic inflammation responses and/or ectopic infections.
In a series of landmark animal studies in which pregnant hamsters were injected with the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis, researchers found that infection led to smaller fetuses and to an increase of inflammatory mediators at the site of infection and in the amniotic fluid. In the past five years, studies have been performed to determine whether periodontal disease is a potentially reversible cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The design of these studies was to randomly divide women with periodontal disease into two groups. One group received periodontal treatment during pregnancy and the other did not. As expected, periodontal treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the rate of preterm delivery and an increase in birth weight.
Periodontal disease affects more than 23 percent of women between the ages of 30 and 54 years. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently released a statement encouraging pregnant woman to sustain their oral health and recommend regular dental cleanings during pregnancy. Dr. Nancy L. Newhouse, DDS, MS, and President of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP): "It is important for expectant mothers to monitor their periodontal health and to have a conversation with their periodontist or dentist about the most appropriate care. By maintaining your periodontal health, you are not only supporting your overall health, but also helping to ensure a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby."
