Introduction: The physiological changes in mother-infant pairs during pregnancy increase the susceptibility to a series of infections, including those of the oral cavity. Therefore, the oral and systemic health of pregnant women is related to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the systemic profile and periodontal status of women with a high-risk pregnancy.
Methods: Eighty-nine pregnant women at risk of preterm labor admitted to a hospital in southern Brazil were interviewed and received a periodontal examination. Data related to obstetric complications during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia, infections, medication use, and gestational diabetes) and systemic diseases were collected from medical records. The periodontal parameters of probing pocket depth, bleeding on probing, and clinical attachment level were evaluated. The data were tabulated, and statistical analysis was performed (p < 0.05).
Results: The mean age of participants was 24 years (SD = 5.62). Gingival bleeding was recorded in 91% of the participants. The prevalence of gingivitis was 31.46%, and periodontitis was 29.21%. No association between systemic conditions and periodontal disease was observed.
Conclusions and implications for practice: Periodontal inflammation was not associated with the systemic profile during pregnancy. However, women with high-risk pregnancies showed higher levels of gingival inflammation, emphasizing the importance of dental care during pregnancy.
Keywords: Gingivitis; Maternal health; Periodontal disease; Pregnancy, high-risk.
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.