Women who do not seek preventive dental care during pregnancy may have a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders, according to a new study analyzing U.S. health data.
The research, published in The Journal of the American Dental Association, examined responses from 206,080 pregnant women surveyed between 2016 and 2020 through the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. The findings suggest a link between oral health care habits and key pregnancy complications.
Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes (7.0 per cent) or hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (13.3 per cent) were less likely to have accessed preventive oral health care or visited a dentist for problems during pregnancy, the study found.
According to the researchers, women who did not receive preventive dental care had 1.13 times higher odds (95 per cent confidence interval, 1.06 to 1.20) of developing gestational diabetes and 1.08 times higher odds (95 per cent CI, 1.03 to 1.13) of experiencing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Those who needed but did not receive dental care for problems during pregnancy faced 1.28 times greater odds (95 per cent CI, 1.13 to 1.44) of hypertensive disorders than women without dental issues.
The researchers also called for greater awareness among dentists about treating pregnant patients, particularly those experiencing pregnancy complications.
The study comes amid growing recognition of the links between oral and systemic health. Prior research has associated poor oral hygiene with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth and low birth weight.