Key Factors Affect Oral Health During Early Pregnancy

Key Factors Affect Oral Health During Early Pregnancy

In a recent study, researchers evaluated the effects of gestational age and location of bleeding sites on the prevalence of gingivitis in mothers during their first and second trimesters of pregnancy. The investigation, conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, evaluated the oral health status of more than 600 women during early pregnancy and provided conclusions on oral health status and recommendations for maintaining oral health during pregnancy. Researchers recently presented their study, “Gingivitis During the First/Second Trimesters of Pregnancy,” at the 94th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research in Seoul, South Korea.

Using baseline data from a large multicenter study, researchers screened women between 8 weeks and 24 weeks gestation who had fewer than 30 bleeding sites. Trained examiners measured whole-mouth gingivitis scores and bleeding-site counts in 817 women. Of those screened, 666 women were deemed evaluable.

Among study participants, mean gestational age was 17.1 weeks, with maternal age ranging from 18 years to 46 years (n=27.8 years). Gingival inflammation averaged 51.2 sites. Researchers concluded that the location of the bleeding site and maternal age had the greatest impact on gingival bleeding, with young women presenting with the highest prevalence of gingival bleeding. While young women experienced a greater prevalence of gingival bleeding during pregnancy, gestational age and ethnicity did not seem to impact results. The researchers concluded that moderate to severe gingivitis was common during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, but that oral health could be maintained via routine dental care.

Hygiene Connection E-Newsletter

July 2016