Pregnant women who receive nonsurgical treatment for periodontal disease do not lower their risk of delivering a premature or low-birthweight baby.
The results come from the largest clinical trial to date evaluating whether treating periodontal disease during pregnancy reduces the risk of early delivery. Observational studies have suggested that gum disease might be a risk factor of preterm birth. The theory is that bacteria associated with periodontal disease spread to the womb to induce preterm delivery, or that the body’s response to periodontal bacteria indirectly induces preterm delivery.
