Periodontal disease: Could this be a further factor leading to subfertility and is there a case for a prepregnancy dental check-up?

摘要

Periodontal disease is a severe form of gingivitis affecting the gums. It is a longstanding inflammatory and infectious disease process affecting the gums and the surrounding structures that support the teeth. With the steady progression of the inflammatory disease process, anaerobic bacteria present at the base of the gums promote local tissue destruction within the gums and supporting structures of the teeth, and a release of inflammatory chemicals locally and also into the bloodstream (cytokines), potentially affecting many organ systems. It has been known for many years that there is an association with poor oral hygiene and an individual's general health. Within the scientific literature there exists extensive publications that describe the association of poor oral hygiene with poor general health. One of the earliest reports of the negative consequences of periodontal disease upon general health was a report in 1989 of the association between gum disease and myocardial infarction [1]. Despite adjusting for confounding variables, those individuals who suffered an acute infarction were more likely to have dental problems than individuals who did not have an infarction [1]. Since this early report there are several reports that describe an association between poor oral health and cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, respiratory disease, kidney disease and poor pregnancy outcomes [2-6].