Continuing on from Part Two of Oral Health and Pregnancy, researchers have also looked at other pathways linking preterm birth and periodontal disease. In one study, investigators examined 48 mothers who delivered preterm low birth weight babies to determine whether there is, indeed, a connection. They measured levels of certain immune-related compounds in the crevices of these mothers’ gums. What they discovered was that these fluids contained significantly higher levels of these compounds in the PTB LBW mothers compared with women in control group.
One of the compounds they found is a certain type of prostaglandin. These are a group of hormone-like substances that play a role in a number of body functions. Among them is controlling inflammation. What inflammation, you ask? Well remember our earlier discussion about periodontal bacteria that are pathogens and how they cause inflammation – not just locally in the gum, but throughout the body’s entire system? Right – that inflammation.
The researchers also found another compound called interleukin. This is a type of protein which has a primary purpose of stimulating the growth of cells that fight off disease.
Another effect of gum disease during pregnancy has to do with something called growth restriction. The full term is intrauterine growth restriction, which refers to a fetus that weighs in at the bottom 10 percent for its age. This can be due to any of several causes, including poor nutrition, congenital abnormalities, genetics or risk factors that the mother may have. It’s a condition that increases the risks of complications both during pregnancy and after delivery.
A five-year study called Oral Conditions and Pregnancy, or OCAP, performed full periodontal examinations before the 26th week of pregnancy and again within 48 hours after delivery. The idea was to assess changes in oral health status during the pregnancy, and determine whether there was any association with preterm delivery and growth restriction.
Here’s what the OCAP researchers found. The presence of gum disease during the pregnancy and the progression of the disease resulted not only in a significantly higher rate of preterm births. It also was associated with a smaller birth weight for the infants’ gestational age. In other words, mothers who have gum disease while they’re pregnant are not only more likely to deliver prematurely; they’re also likely to have a low birth weight baby. And, not only is the baby’s birth weight lower than a full-term baby – which could be expected with any preterm delivery – it’s also lower than would be expected for a baby delivered at that specific point in the pregnancy.
As an oral diagnostician, dentist, and medical enthusiast, I’m happy to provide this information to the general public. If you live in or near the Richmond, Virginia area, I would be happy to have you as my patient. If you need periodontal treatment, complex oral rehabilitation, dental implants, or cosmetic dentistry, call the Richmond Smile Center today at 888.22.SMILES, and schedule an appointment with me, Dr. Charles Martin.
Part four of this article, “Oral Health and Pregnancy,” will be published on Monday, February 14.
The information in this blog is an excerpt from Are Your Teeth Killing You? by Dr. Charles Martin.
