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Gum disease tied to pregnancy complicationsLast Updated: 2003-02-03 10:00:12 -0400 (Reuters Health) NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Severe gum disease may raise a pregnant woman's risk of developing a dangerous condition known as preeclampsia, a new study shows. Women with severe periodontal disease were more than twice as likely as those with healthy gums to develop the condition, according to a study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. Preeclampsia, which is characterized by the sudden onset of high blood pressure, can lead to eclampsia, or seizures late in pregnancy or after delivery. Eclampsia can cause organ damage and even death. The new findings are too preliminary for public health officials to make any blanket statements regarding oral health and pregnancy, the study's lead author Dr. Kim A. Boggess said in an interview with Reuters Health. But "this report emphasizes to me that obstetricians should be inquiring about dental care and oral health among their patients," added Boggess, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the department of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Boggess and her colleagues followed 885 pregnant women, checking their gums when they started the study and within 48 hours of delivery. At the beginning of the study, 125 women had severe periodontal disease. And out of the 763 women who delivered babies during the course of the study and received exams after delivery, 100 had severe periodontal disease. Two percent of women who had healthy gums before 26 weeks of pregnancy developed preeclampsia, while 3% of those whose gums were healthy at delivery developed the condition. But 5% of women with mild periodontal disease early in pregnancy or at delivery developed preeclampsia. Among women with severe gum disease, 6% diagnosed with the condition early in pregnancy developed preeclampsia, and 10% of women with severe gum disease at delivery had preeclampsia. Ultimately, the researchers found that women with severe gum disease at delivery were more than twice as likely as those with healthy gums to develop preeclampsia. Boggess isn't sure why gum disease might be associated with preeclampsia, but she suspects that inflammation in the gums may lead to inflammation throughout the body. And such inflammation could produce abnormalities in the placenta that bring on preeclampsia, she explained. It is also possible that the bacteria involved in gum disease somehow manage to migrate to the blood vessels of the placenta or uterus and do damage there, Boggess said. Or, perhaps, the gum disease is simply a marker for some maternal characteristic that predisposes women to preeclampsia, she added. SOURCE: Obstetrics and Gynecology 2003;101:227-231. Gum disease may weaken heart medsFinnish researchers are linking periodontitis, or gum disease, with the long-term effectiveness of antibiotics that prevent heart attacks. Scientists in Helsinki gave 141 patients with and without periodontitis a three-month course of treatment with antibiotics made to decrease the recurrence of cardiovascular events. The double-blind trial then registered the recurrence of new cardiovascular events over the course of one year. According to the article, which is in the journal Atherosclerosis, 79 percent of patients without gum disease went a year without new heart problems. That number dropped to 74 percent in the patients without teeth and 66 percent in those with periodontitis. Periodontitis destroys the soft tissue and bone that support your teeth and can cause tooth loss. The researchers said this is the first time dental infections have been linked to the effectiveness of long-term treatment with these antibiotics. But other research has recently linked gum disease with an increase risk for heart disease, stroke and premature births. Sat 07 Jan 2006 01:13 PM CST WASHINGTON DC (myDNA News) Diabetic Child and Gum DiseasePeriodontal destruction can start very early in life in children with diabetes, according to study findings published in the February issue of Diabetes Care. The results also show that periodontal changes can become more prominent in adolescence. Dr. Evanthia Lalla and colleagues from Columbia University Medical Center, New York, assessed dental caries and periodontal disease in 182 diabetic children between 6 and 18 years of age and in 160 nondiabetic controls. No significant differences were observed between cases and controls in regard to dental caries . On the other hand, children with diabetes had significantly more dental plaque and higher gingival inflammation levels compared with nondiabetic controls . Children with diabetes also had a significantly greater number of teeth with evidence of attachment loss (5.8 versus 1.5 in controls). A highly significant correlation remained between diabetes and periodontitis after controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, gingival bleeding, and frequency of dental visits (odds ratio 5.23; p < 0.001). This was especially true in the 12- to 18-year-olds. Body mass index was significantly correlated with the number of affected teeth in children with diabetes, but no correlation was observed with duration of diabetes or mean HbA1c. "As periodontal diseases are largely preventable and progression of destruction can be best arrested when identified in early stages, screening for periodontal changes and implementing prevention and treatment programs should be considered as a standard of care for young patients with diabetes ," Dr. Lalla's team advises. "This becomes even more important," they point out, "in the light of the emerging view that control of periodontal infections in adults with diabetes can further have a positive effect on the level of metabolic control in these individuals." (Reuters Health) Feb 07 DIABETES CARE 2006;29:295-299. Treatment of periodontal disease improves metabolic control of diabetes Diabetes is a complex disease with both vascular and metabolic components. A back and forth connection exists between diabetic control and oral infections. When periodontal infection is established, metabolic control of diabetes is worsened. When diabetes is exacerbated, periodontal infection progresses. During the 3-month study, subjects in the control group received no periodontal treatment. Test group subjects received oral hygiene
instructions and scaling and root planing with local anesthesia.
Impact of modified acidic soft drinks on enamel erosionFrom each of 144 bovine incisors one enamel sample was prepared. Labial surfaces of the samples were ground flat, polished and covered with adhesive tape, leaving an exposed area. The samples were distributed among four groups for treatment with A: Coca-Cola, B: Sprite; C: Sprite light, D: orange juice. Either 1.0 mmol l1 calcium (Ca) or a combination (comb.) of 0.5 mmol l1 calcium plus 0.5 mmol l1 phosphate plus 0.031 mmol l1 fluoride was added to the beverages. Samples of each group were subdivided into three subgroups (-original; -Ca and -comb.) for treatment with original and modified drinks. Surface loss of the specimens was determined using profilometry after test procedure. In all subgroups, loss of enamel was observed. The enamel loss recorded for the samples rinsed with original Sprite and original orange juice was significantly higher compared with all other solutions Modification of the test soft drinks with low concentrations of calcium or a combination of calcium, phosphate and fluoride may exert a significant protective potential with respect to dental erosion. Impact of modified acidic soft drinks on enamel erosion |