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| about periodontal disease |
| In this column, we will reply to questions about periodontal disease, monthly. We hope you can learn correctly what periodontal disease in connection with your health is, and refer to it for your life. |
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| The 5th The basic knowledge
of gum disease |
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Q2:I
am pregnant. Do periodontal diseases affect
the childbirth?
A2:
For a long time, bacterial infection to
urinary tract and genital organs had been
considered as major causes of low-birth
weight and premature birth. Smoking and
alcohol intake were also said to be the
risk factors. Yes, it is true.
Further, for past 20 years, obstetricians
have implemented a range of measures to
reduce low-birth weight and premature
birth. Nonetheless, the occurrence of
those cases had not been decreased. Consequently,
bacterial infection in remote structures,
such as periodontal diseases, which had
been believed to have no direct connection
with the cases, came to gather attentions
in recent studies.
Epidemiological studies show that there
is some connection between periodontal
diseases and low-birth weight or premature
birth. However, the mechanism explaining
how periodontal diseases affect childbirth
has yet to be revealed. The studies over
past years incorporating animal experiments
explain that physiologically active substances
(i.e. prostaglandin E2), which are generated
by chronically inflamed periodontal tissues,
enter blood stream and induce uterine
contraction and dilation of cervix, causing
premature birth as in the case of vaginitis.
Therefore, we must note that during pregnancy,
physiologically active substances generated
by tissues affected by periodontal diseases
have adverse effect on childbirth. For
these reasons, the risk of low-birth weight
and premature birth becomes high when
expectant mother suffers periodontitis.
Prevotella intermedia, estrogen, placenta,
pregnancy period, blood stream, gingivitis
of pregnancy.
Moreover, secretion of female hormones
becomes more active during pregnancy period,
and the amount of hormones in gingival
sulcus also increase. Since certain types
of periodontal bacteria have properties
to break down female hormones and produce
Vitamin K, their source of nutrition,
pregnant women are more susceptible to
develop periodontitis and the progress
of the disease may be faster. Therefore,
we advise expectant mothers to pay special
attention in maintaining oral hygiene.
Photograph offer: Okayama University
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