Interceptive care
Ideally a patient’s oral health status should be evaluated and treated by a dentist when pregnancy is anticipated. The evaluation should be comprehensive and identify any potential problem areas (e.g., dental caries, broken teeth and/or restorations, periodontal disease, endodontic involvement). This interceptive approach to treatment is recommended for three reasons: (1) to avoid a dental emergency during pregnancy, which could potentially alter or compromise ideal dental treatment; (2) to reduce the possibility or severity of periodontal disease (e.g., pregnancy granulomas) during pregnancy through instruction and improvement in the patient’s oral hygiene before pregnancy; and (3) to prevent the possibility of a directly negative effect of oral disease on the fetus. The third reason is supported by recent evidence showing that periodontal disease represents a significant risk factor for preterm, low-birth-weight neonates (less than 2500 g). In Offenbacher et al.’s study, pregnant or postpartum mothers were evaluated to determine whether the prevalence of material periodontal infection was associated with the birth of preterm, low-birth-weight infants. It was found that low-birth-weight infants had mothers with significantly worse periodontal disease as compared to mothers of normal birth- weight infants. Additionally, the study showed that expectant mothers with periodontal disease were seven times more likely than others to deliver a preterm, low birth-weight infant.
