The following table summarizes the current medical literature on this subject. Studies are inconsistent in regard to treatment of periodontitis and pregnancy outcomes, partly due to heterogeneity of studies. However, studies do consistently demonstrate that periodontitis improved with treatment and that treatment is safe during pregnancy.
| Study | Study Type | Participants | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyzos et al, 2009 | Metaanalysis of 7 RCTs | Case 1491 Control 1172 | Tx produced: Lower PTB OR 0.55 (p=0.008) Lower LBW OR 0.48 (p=0.049) |
| Offenbacher et al, 2008 | RCT | Case 903 Control 903 | No difference in PTB, LBW |
| Srinivas et al, 2009 | RCT | Case 311 Control 425 | No difference in PTB, IUGR, Preeclampsia |
| Newnham et al, 2009 | RCT | Case 542 Control 540 | No difference in PTB |
| Cochrane 2017 | Meta-analysis of 15 RCTs | 7161 participants | No difference in PTB, Preeclampsia, or Perinatal Mortality; Lower LBW <2500g in subset of 7 studies, RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.48-0.95 |
| Arbildo-Vega et al, 2024 | Systematic review of 24 studies | 24 SR and MA studies | Mixed results with a majority of studies supporting reduced risk of PTB and LBW with periodontal treatment |
Definitions: PTB = Preterm Birth, LBW= Low Birth Weight, OR = Odds Ratio, CI=Confidence Intervals, RR = Relative Risk,
SR = Systematic Review, MA = Meta-analysis