Periodontal disease in pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes: Progress in related mechanisms and management strategies

Abstract

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory and destructive disease of tissues supporting the tooth. A large number of studies have confirmed that periodontal pathogens and their metabolites can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes in direct or indirect ways. Adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and pre-eclampsia, have a serious impact on human reproductive health. In recent years, although the level of global medical technology has gradually improved, the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes has not declined and is still a global public health problem. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current data on periodontal disease in pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including the association between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes, the pathogenic mechanism related to this association, the efficacy of different nutrition supplements for both periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes and the effect of providing periodontal treatment on the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes, to provide guidance for the prevention and treatment of adverse pregnancy outcomes in clinical practice.

The Impact of Periodontal Disease on Preterm Birth and Preeclampsia

“…Pregnancy is accompanied by changes in periodontal health, with expectant mothers being more susceptible to inflammatory conditions and experiencing increased gum bleeding rates due to immune system changes. This suggests that for women with pre-existing periodontitis before conception, pregnancy could exacerbate the condition's severity [64]. Early pregnancy is often characterized by pregnancy-induced nausea and vomiting, during which gastric acid production may compromise periodontal tissue barriers to various microorganisms, potentially contributing to placental infection and systemic inflammation, ultimately resulting in preterm labor [64].…”

Periodontal and Systemic Diseases: A Descriptive Analysis of Awareness Among the General Saudi Population

“…Periodontal bacterial infiltration and elicitation of host immune responses impact a broad spectrum of systemic diseases and conditions. Scientific literature indicates a linkage of periodontal diseases with diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, hepatorenal disorders, adverse pregnancy outcomes, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, cancers, and many more [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. A few of these conditions are thought to have a bilateral relationship with periodontal diseases and have been identified in the most recent classification of periodontal and peri-implant diseases [17].…”

Recent Aspects of Periodontitis and Alzheimer’s Disease—A Narrative Review

“…Periodontal conditions may increase the susceptibility of individuals to various systemic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease [ 10 ], oral cancer and colorectal neoplasms [ 11 , 12 , 13 ], gastrointestinal issues [ 14 ], respiratory tract infections and pneumonia [ 15 , 16 ], adverse outcomes during pregnancy [ 17 , 18 , 19 ], diabetes [ 20 , 21 , 22 ], insulin resistance [ 23 ], and neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease [ 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”