News – Dental research has determined that obese pregnant women are more likely to have periodontitis

An investigation conducted by Valeria Ramírez, Alejandra Chaparro and María José Bendek, all academics at the Faculty of Dentistry, determined that pregnant women with obesity have a 66% greater chance of having stage III periodontitis and a 57% greater chance large for the current phase II. periodontitis compared to those without obesity.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the possible association between obesity and periodontitis compared to periodontal health or gingivitis in pregnant women.

“A cross-sectional multidisciplinary analytical study was conducted with the participation of 972 pregnant women in the first weeks of pregnancy, where researchers from different professions and fields of knowledge worked, some of them teachers of our Master’s program in Research and Innovation in Dentistry. the sciences. Patients’ sociodemographic variables and clinical, obstetric and periodontal variables were analyzed.“says Valeria Ramírez, an academic at the Faculty of Dentistry.

The results of the study show a link between obesity and the severity of periodontal disease in pregnant women, implying a higher risk of periodontitis in those with obesity.

“This relationship highlights the importance of promoting care, especially in women with obesity, potentially even before pregnancy. Moreover, it emphasizes the need to increase awareness and education about maintaining an adequate body weight, not only for the common consequences, but also to prevent the deterioration of oral health in pregnant women. This can involve dentists in the challenge of supporting healthy weight maintenance, promoting a comprehensive approach to the health care of pregnant women and women of reproductive age.“, comments the teacher.

The academic says that these findings can serve as a stimulus for future research.both by our team and others, with the aim of better understanding the underlying mechanisms linking obesity and periodontal disease“. Further, he adds that “The exhaustive analysis proposed and developed in the article will be useful for graduate students and especially for Master’s students to have as an example or model the comprehensive application of the many knowledge they learn in the program.“.

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