As the first person to launch an article in oral systemic science and interprofessional care, Casey Hein, BSDH, has spent much of her career studying the relationships between oral and systemic health. There are 170 systemic conditions linked to oral health. In this interview Hein and Dr. Pamela Maragliano-Muniz focus on pregnancy and oral health.
The latest Cochrane research in 2017 suggests periodontitis during pregnancy can lead to low birth weight. It has not been substantially proven to lead to preterm birth. But research has shown that low-birth-weight babies often have health problems later in life.
The best time to treat periodontitis is before a woman becomes pregnant. But that’s not always possible, Hein acknowledges. She says that treating perio disease after a woman becomes pregnant is acceptable but not ideal. She and Dr. Pam say that a big challenge for dental professionals is to educate their dental peers, as well as women who are planning to become pregnant, about treating periodontitis before pregnancy.
Dr. Pam stresses that dental professionals should never shrug off treating periodontal disease while a woman is pregnant because they believe it is “too late.” Hein says that some treatment is better than nothing and it’s never too late.
Find out what else they share about pregnant women and periodontitis.
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Pamela Maragliano-Muniz, DMD, is the chief editor of DentistryIQ and editorial co-director of Through the Loupes. Based in Salem, Massachusetts, Dr. Maragliano-Muniz began her clinical career as a dental hygienist. She went on to attend Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, where she earned her doctorate in dental medicine. She then attended the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dental Medicine, where she became board-certified in prosthodontics. Dr. Maragliano-Muniz owns a private practice, Salem Dental Arts, and lectures on a variety of clinical topics. You may contact her at [email protected].
