Periodontal medicine: emerging concepts in pregnancy outcomes.

The term periodontal medicine encompasses the study of the contribution of periodontal infections on several systemic conditions such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, diabetes, and premature delivery. The early reports of a linkage between periodontitis and systemic conditions are gaining further support from additional epidemiological studies. The evidence continues to suggest that maternal periodontitis may bean important risk factor or risk indicator for pregnancies culminating in preterm low birth-weight deliveries. Potential mechanisms by which infectious challenge of periodontal origin and systemic inflammation may serve as a potential modifier of parturition are discussed. Furthermore, preliminary data are presented, supporting a hypothetical model in which periodontal pathogens disseminate systemically within the mother and gain access to the foetal compartment. Several aspects of this hypothetical model remain to be elucidated. Only the clarification of the mechanisms of pathogenesis of both periodontitis and premature deliveries will ultimately allow for accurate diagnoses and successful therapies. The concept of diagnosing and treating a periodontal patient to minimise the deleterious effects of this chronic infectious and inflammatory condition on systemic conditions represents both an unprecedented challenge and opportunity to our profession.

Career preferences of pediatric dentistry advanced education students.

A questionnaire addressing career preferences of pediatric dentistry advanced education students was mailed to 52 training programs. Two hundred and thirty-two completed surveys from 45 responding programs were returned. Men were in combined specialty programs significantly more than women (P < 0.05, chi-square) and U.S. citizen students were significantly older than non-citizens (P < 0.05, t-test). The collected data reflected differences in career preferences between men and women, and citizens and noncitizens. Women reported a significant preference for private practice, part-time associate and public health practice than did men. Although not significant, men declared equal preference for full-time private practice either solo or as an associate. Noncitizens were found to have a significant preference when compared to citizens for academic full- and part-time, hospital/institutional full- and part-time, research, full- and part-time positions, and for additional training.

Factors that affect career choices of pediatric dentistry advanced education students.

A questionnaire addressing factors that affect career choices by pediatric dentistry advanced education students was mailed to 52 training programs. Two hundred and thirty-two completed surveys from 45 responding programs were returned. The responses were analyzed for women and men and citizens and noncitizens. Concern for spouse career opportunities affected women's personal career decisions significantly more (P < 0.05) than it did for men. Women rated previous federal/military experience significantly less (P < 0.05) influential on their career choice than did men. Geographic preference when making career decisions was significantly more (P < 0.001) important to citizens than it was for noncitizens. Noncitizens assigned significantly higher (P < 0.001) ratings to an interest in teaching and research than did citizens. A preference for practicing with a parent or relative and previous federal/military experience affected career choices by noncitizens significantly more (P < 0.05) than they did citizens. This study suggests that numerous career-influencing factors in pediatric dentistry are perceived differently by women and men, and citizens and noncitizens.

Maternal periodontitis and prematurity. Part II: Maternal infection and fetal exposure.

Clinical data from the first 812 deliveries from a cohort study of pregnant mothers entitled Oral Conditions and Pregnancy (OCAP) demonstrate that both antepartum maternal periodontal disease and incidence/progression of periodontal disease are associated with preterm birth and growth restriction after adjusting for traditional obstetric risk factors. In the current study we present measures of maternal periodontal infection using whole chromosomal DNA probes to identify 15 periodontal organisms within maternal periodontal plaque sampled at delivery. In addition, maternal postpartum IgG antibody and fetal exposure, as indexed by fetal cord blood IgM level to these 15 maternal oral pathogens, was measured by whole bacterial immunoblots. The potential role of maternal infection with specific organisms within 2 bacterial complexes most often associated with periodontitis, conventionally termed "Orange" (Campylobacter rectus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Peptostreptococcus micros, Prevotella nigrescens, and Prevotella intermedia) and "Red" (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacteroides forsythus, and Treponema denticola) complexes, respectively, to prematurity was investigated by relating the presence of oral infection, maternal IgG, and fetal cord IgM, comparing full-term to preterm (gestational age < 37 weeks). The prevalence of 8 periodontal pathogens was similar among term and preterm mothers at postpartum. There was a 2.9-fold higher prevalence of IgM seropositivity for one or more organisms of the Orange or Red complex among preterm babies, as compared to term babies (19.9% versus 6.9%, respectively, P = 0.0015, chi square). Specifically, the prevalence of positive fetal IgM to C. rectus was significantly higher for preterm as compared to full-term neonates (20.0% versus 6.3%, P = 0.0002, as well as P. intermedia (8.8% versus 1.1%, P = 0.0003). A lack of maternal IgG antibody to organisms of the Red complex was associated with an increased rate of prematurity with an odds ratio (OR) = 2.2; confidence interval (CI) 1.48 to 3.79), consistent with the concept that maternal antibody protects the fetus from exposure and resultant prematurity. The highest rate of prematurity (66.7%) was observed among those mothers without a protective Red complex IgG response coupled with a fetal IgM response to Orange complex microbes (combined OR 10.3; P < 0.0001). These data support the concept that maternal periodontal infection in the absence of a protective maternal antibody response is associated with systemic dissemination of oral organisms that translocate to the fetus resulting in prematurity. The high prevalence of elevated fetal IgM to C. rectus among premature infants raises the possibility that this specific maternal oral pathogen may serve as a primary fetal infectious agent eliciting prematurity.

Maternal periodontitis and prematurity. Part I: Obstetric outcome of prematurity and growth restriction.

Oral Conditions and Pregnancy (OCAP) is a 5-year prospective study of pregnant women designed to determine whether maternal periodontal disease contributes to the risk for prematurity and growth restriction in the presence of traditional obstetric risk factors. Full-mouth periodontal examinations were conducted at enrollment (prior to 26 weeks gestational age) and again within 48 hours postpartum to assess changes in periodontal status during pregnancy. Maternal periodontal disease status at antepartum, using a 3-level disease classification (health, mild, moderate-severe) as well as incident periodontal disease progression during pregnancy were used as measures of exposures for examining associations with the pregnancy outcomes of preterm birth by gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) adjusting for race, age, food stamp eligibility, marital status, previous preterm births, first birth, chorioamnionitis, bacterial vaginosis, and smoking. Interim data from the first 814 deliveries demonstrate that maternal periodontal disease at antepartum and incidence/progression of periodontal disease are significantly associated with a higher prevalence rate of preterm births, BW < 2,500 g, and smaller birth weight for gestational age. For example, among periodontally healthy mothers the unadjusted prevalence of births of GA < 28 weeks was 1.1%. This was higher among mothers with mild periodontal disease (3.5%) and highest among mothers with moderate-severe periodontal disease (11.1%). The adjusted prevalence rates among GA outcomes were significantly different for mothers with mild periodontal disease (n = 566) and moderate-severe disease (n = 45) by pair-wise comparisons to the periodontally healthy reference group (n = 201) at P = 0.017 and P < 0.0001, respectively. A similar pattern was seen for increased prevalence of low birth weight deliveries among mothers with antepartum periodontal disease. For example, there were no births of BW < 1000 g among periodontally healthy mothers, but the adjusted rate was 6.1% and 11.4% for mild and moderate-severe periodontal disease (P = 0.0006 and P < 0.0001), respectively. Periodontal disease incidence/progression during pregnancy was associated with significantly smaller births for gestational age adjusting for race, parity, and baby gender. In summary, the present study, although preliminary in nature, provides evidence that maternal periodontal disease and incident progression are significant contributors to obstetric risk for preterm delivery, low birth weight and low weight for gestational age. These studies underscore the need for further consideration of periodontal disease as a potentially new and modifiable risk for preterm birth and growth restriction.