Background Few studies have specifically examined the relationship between periodontal disease and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The objective of this study was to examine whether maternal periodontal disease is associated with GDM. Methods A case-control study was conducted of 53 pregnant women with GDM and 106 pregnant women without GDM at Woman’s Hospital, Baton Rouge, USA. The periodontal examinations were performed by a calibrated dentist who was blinded on the diabetic status of the pregnant women. Periodontitis was defined as the presence of any site with a probing depth (PD) ≥ 4 mm or a clinical attachment loss (CAL) ≥ 4 mm. The severity of periodontal disease was measured in quartiles of PD and CAL. Univariable analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to examine the relationships between periodontal disease and GDM. Results The percentage of periodontitis was 77.4% in women with GDM and 57.5% in pregnant non-GDM women, with an odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 2.5 (1.2–5.3). After adjusting for confounding variables of maternal age, parity, race, marital status, education, family income, smoking, alcohol consumption, systemic antibiotics in pregnancy, family history of diabetes, income, dental insurance coverage and body mass index, the adjusted OR (95% CI) was 2.6 (1.1–6.1). The adjusted ORs (95% CIs) of GDM comparing the highest-to-lowest quartiles of PD and CAL were 3.8 (1.0–14.0) and 4.5 (1.2–16.9). Conclusion This study supports the hypothesis of an association between periodontal disease and GDM.

After completion of this article, the reader should be able to state that the published literature is not vigorous to clinically link periodontal disease and/or its treatment to specific adverse pregnancy outcomes, and explain that more rigorous studies with world-wide agreed-upon definitions are particularly needed before periodontal disease treatment can be recommended.

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These results suggest that diamond-coated ultrasonic instruments will effectively plane roots, and that caution should be used during periodontal root planing procedures. Additionally, the diamond-coated instruments will produce a rougher surface than the plain inserts or the hand curettes.