Periodontal status during pregnancy and postpartum

Abstract

ObjectivesDifferent studies have documented an association between periodontal disease and low birth-weight delivery. Hence, knowledge of periodontal status during pregnancy and postpartum is important in order to reduce the risks of both diseases. This study aimed to analyze periodontal status at successive stages of pregnancy and 3–6 weeks postpartum in women with initial periodontal alterations.Materials and methodsNinety-six pregnant women were examined at 8–10 weeks (pregnancy diagnosis, baseline), 21–23 weeks and 34–36 weeks of gestation and at 40 days postpartum to record plaque scores, clinically assessed gingival inflammation and probing depth (mean depth and % sites with depth >3 mm). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Type 1 (α) error was established at 0.05ResultsPlaque Index increased (p = 0.043) throughout pregnancy (baseline, 42%±0.18); 21–23 weeks, 42.6%±0.14; 34–36 weeks, 45.6%±0.13 and decreased postpartum (44.8%±0–13). Gingival Index increased (p<0.001) throughout pregnancy (baseline, 56.7%±0.20; 21–23 weeks, 66.36%±0.17; 34–36 weeks, 74.5%±0.18) and decreased postpartum (59.3%±0.21). Probing Depth increased (p<0.001) throughout pregnancy (baseline, 2.51±0.05; 21–23 weeks, 2.63±0.053; 34–36 weeks 2.81±0.055) and decreased postpartum (2.54±0.049). Percentage of sites with Probing Depth >3 mm increased (p<0.001) throughout pregnancy (baseline, 17.6%±0.16; 21–23 weeks, 23.9%±0.17; 34–36 weeks, 31.1%±0.17) and decreased postpartum (21.2%±0.17) but remained significantly (p<0.02) higher than at baseline.ConclusionPeriodontal status deteriorates during gestation but improves postpartum.

Oral Health Knowledge and Related Factors among Pregnant Women Attending to a Primary Care Center in Spain

“…Pregnancy is a stage of life for women in which numerous physiological and lifestyle changes occur [3]. These changes are, in great measure, responsible for the manifestations that are produced in the oral cavity during pregnancy.…”

“…The most frequent changes produced in the oral cavity during pregnancy are pregnancy gingivitis, with a prevalence of 60%-75% [3,5,6]; xerostomy, between 15% and 18% [4], pregnancy epulis, with a prevalence of approximately 5% [7]; dental erosion, which occurs in 75%-80% of cases [5], and halitosis, which is referred in around 13% of cases [8,9]. Likewise, the changes in dietary habits can be associated with an incremented risk of developing caries lesions or a progression of those already present [5,10].…”

The Relationship Between Periodontal Status and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Pregnancy

“…gebe hastalarda jinjival inflamasyonun arttığını ve periodontal durumun gebelikte bozulduğunu bildirmişlerdir. 32 Kesitsel ve kohort çalışmaları, benzer plak kontrolüne rağmen gebe olmayan kadın kontrol grubuna kıyasla, gebelerde jinjivit prevalans ve şiddetinin artmış olduğunu göstermektedir. 33,34 Çeşitli çalışmalar ile gebe kadınların ağız sağlığının yetersiz olduğu gösterilmiş ve periodontal hastalıklar, kadınlarda yaşam kalitesini düşürmesi nedeni ile üzerinde durulması gereken önemli halk sağlığı sorunlarından biri olarak belirtilmiştir.…”

Pregnancy, parity and periodontal disease

“…The few studies of this nature are summarized in Table . These vary considerably in design; many did not include a non‐pregnant comparison group; others had a small sample size; some did not report baseline periodontal status; one provided no case definition for periodontitis; and one included only periodontally healthy participants . Even so, all those studies reported greater periodontal disease experience during pregnancy, followed by post‐partum improvement.…”

“…Epidemiological studies have suggested an association between parity (the number of times a women has given birth) and tooth loss, and parity and periodontal attachment loss, but none has determined whether this association is causal. A number of studies have reported greater severity and extent of gingival inflammation during pregnancy . While not offering evidence that the association is cause, these findings have fuelled the hypothesis that pregnancy and parity are risk factors for periodontal disease.…”