Early periodontal treatment reduces preterm births by 84%

According to The Wall Street Journal, a recent study of pregnant women with a serious gum disease found that early treatment with scaling and root planing (which removes plaque and tartar from around tooth root) reduced preterm births by 84 percent. The study, originally published in the Journal of Periodontology confirmed in a large scale what dentists and obstetricians have noticed for years and discovered in smaller studies.

About one per cent of premature babies can have as many as 100 hospital days, resulting in half a million dollars in costs, thus providing periodontal treatment can result in huge potential gains for medical plans, according to another article in the International Healthcare Journal. 

Gingivitis is the earliest stage, and milder form, of periodontal disease but even this type is harmful to pregnant women and has been linked to premature births. Researchers in Santiago, Chile, examined 870 women with gingivitis, aged 18 to 42 years, and found that periodontal treatment significantly reduced the pre-term/low-birth weight rate (Journal of Periodontology, Nov 2005). The women were randomly assigned to receive periodontal treatment consisting of plaque control, scaling, and daily rinsing with chlorhexidine before 28 weeks of gestation or after delivery.  The results demonstrated that those who received treatment before 28 weeks of gestation had a significantly lower incidence of pre-term/low-birth weight than women who did not. The researchers concluded that pregnancy-associated gingivitis appeared to be an independent risk factor and afforded more than a two-fold increase in the risk for pre-term/low-birth weight.

If a pregnant woman has periodontitis, a more advanced form of gum disease and worse than gingivitis, they are more prone to pre-term/low-birth weight pregnancies, sepsis, having a baby with a lower Apgar score, and elevated temperature of the baby. This problem crosses all socio-economic lines.

Bleeding gums are a sign of periodontal disease and experts recommend that pregnant women should receive dental treatment after their first trimester. Women with pregnancy gingivitis should visit their dentist as soon as possible to receive treatment and preventive maintenance. This is very easy to treat, there is no risk to the mother or child, and the results can be dramatic in terms of improving the chances of delivering a healthy baby.