Periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes : a systematic review

Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the correlation between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes and to evaluate the effect of periodontal therapy during pregnancy in reducing the incidence of preterm birth and low birth weight. Materials and methods: We searched electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Trials Registry) for case-control studies, prospective studies, and clinical trials and carried out a meta-analysis of data from selected randomized clinical trials. Results: A total of 37 studies were included in the present analysis. Two hundred and one preterm births (10.2%) were reported in the experimental groups compared with 186 (9.4%) in control groups, for an odds ratio (OR) of 1.01 (95% CI: 0.74-1.38; p = 0.93). As for low birth weights, 164 (8.2%) of these events were reported in experimental groups and 153 (7.6%) in control groups for an OR of 1.08 (95% CI: 0.86-1.36; p = 0.53). Conclusion: We found no clear evidence that periodontal disease is a major risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes, although it may exert a minor effect. Non-surgical periodontal therapy is safe during pregnancy, but we found no evidence of its efficacy in reducing the incidence of preterm birth or low birth weight.