Who would have thought that periodontitis would be associated with pre-eclampsia in pregnant women? I mean, what would a condition characterized by high blood pressure have to do with a gingivitis?

Well, apparently, researchers found that presence of the microorganisms, such as Porphyromonas gingivalisTannerella forsythia and Eikenella corrodens, which cause oral infections, were significantly associated with preeclampsia in pregnant women.

This might mean that periodontal bacterium could find its way into the bloodstream in patients with periodontal disease. "P. gingivalis has not only been found in the blood circulation but also in atherosclerotic plaques, which has been linked to periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease."

Clinical trials and further research are necessary, they said. But, whether this claim turns out to be well-founded or not, there's no harm in paying attention to oral hygiene prior to, or during pregnancy. Pre-eclampsia is a serious disorder that may result to pre-term birth, and if it could be prevented by simply pre-empting gingivitis, it's worth the visit to the dentist's.

Dr. Spock's website has a very informative section on dental care during pregnancy.

[Photo: Baylor College of Dentistry]

About the author: Ruth Schaffer is a Microbiologist by training and currently authors the Allergy and Biotechnology weblogs for Creative Weblogging, and a Asian travel weblog for b5media.. She is a mother to a bi-racial, bilingual, precocious 3-yr old.