Background: This study explored whether there is any change of periodontal disease status during and after pregnancy. We also examined whether the change is different between females with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and females without GDM during pregnancy.
Methods: A follow-up study was conducted at Woman's Hospital, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Thirty-nine females who were previously enrolled in a case-control study during pregnancy were followed an average of 22 months postpartum. Periodontal status was assessed through dental examinations performed both during and after pregnancy. Clinical periodontal parameters included bleeding on probing (BOP), mean probing depth (PD), and mean clinical attachment level (CAL). Periodontitis was defined as the presence of ≥1 sites exhibiting PD ≥4 mm or CAL ≥4 mm. We used generalized estimating equation analysis to examine the change of periodontal status.
Results: Mean number and percentage of sites with BOP decreased from 10.7 ± 11.6 (mean ± SD) and 6.5% ± 7.0% during pregnancy to 7.1 ± 8.8 and 4.3% ± 5.3% at 22 months postpartum (P <0.05), respectively. Mean levels of PD and CAL decreased from 1.8 ± 0.4 mm and 1.9 ± 0.3 mm to 1.6 ± 0.3 mm and 1.6 ± 0.3 mm (P <0.01), respectively. The prevalence of periodontitis decreased from 66.7% to 33.3% (P <0.01, adjusted risk ratio = 2.1, 95% confidence interval = 1.3 to 3.4). There was no difference in the change of periodontal status between females with GDM and females without GDM during pregnancy.
Conclusions: Pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of periodontal disease. The association is not different between females with GDM and females without GDM during pregnancy.