Does periodontal health differ between pregnant women with and without Type 1 diabetes?

Investigators examined the effects of Type 1 diabetes mellitus on periodontal well-being in pregnancy.

In a cross-sectional case-control pilot study published in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene, the investigators evaluated clinical parameters — including probing pocket depth; bleeding on probing; plaque index; periodontal pathogenic bacteria; and glycosylated hemoglobin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor alpha, nitrous oxide and interleukin-6 levels — among 30 pregnant women with versus without Type 1 diabetes.

Compared with pregnant women without the condition, those who had Type 1 diabetes had larger deep and total bleeding periodontal wounds, a higher plaque index, a greater number of sites that bled on probing and higher glycosylated hemoglobin levels. The investigators found that a longer duration of Type 1 diabetes was associated with worse periodontal wound sizes, total inflammatory burden and bleeding on probing.

The findings highlighted the critical need to surveil pregnant patients with Type 1 diabetes to mitigate the risk of complications.

Read more: International Journal of Dental Hygiene

The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.