Chronic periodontitis is a multifactorial disorder affecting the periodontal structures of the tooth and leading to progressive loss of attachment and bone
Researchers have found in a new study that Periodontal Red-complex bacteria load high among pregnant preeclamptic women with periodontal disease.
The study has been published in the International Dental Journal.
The presence of red-complex bacteria (RCB) has been associated with the occurrence of not only periodontal disease but also other systemic diseases, thereby potentiating an oral–systemic relationship. This study aimed to explore the levels of periodontal RCB in pregnant preeclamptic women with periodontal disease, potentiating the pathophysiology of a bacterial association in both periodontitis and preeclampsia.

Six hundred pregnant women (aged 20 to 35 years) in their third trimester were selected and divided into 3 groups comprising a control group (systemically and periodontally healthy pregnant women), group A (preeclamptic women with chronic periodontitis), and group B (preeclamptic women without chronic periodontitis). Demographic variables and periodontal parameters were recorded. Other variables such as systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and the urine protein content were also estimated. RCB, namely Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), Treponema denticola (Td), and Tenerella forsythia (Tf), were assessed in both subgingival plaque samples and placental samples of all the pregnant participants in the study.
Results
The mean weight, mean body mass index, mean SBP, mean DBP, and mean urine protein content were significantly elevated in group A and group B when compared to the control group. Preeclamptic women with chronic periodontitis (group A) had higher levels of plaque index, probing pocket depth, bleeding on probing, and clinical attachment level as compared with the other groups. The numbers of the RCB were found to be elevated in group A, out of which Pg was found to be more prevalent.
The findings indicate that the periodontal indices, blood pressure, and urine protein content were found to be higher in preeclamptic women with periodontitis. Hence, reducing the periodontal bacterial load in pregnant women via good oral hygiene maintenance would further reduce the putative risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes including preeclampsia in these women.
Reference:
Jaideep Mahendra, Little Mahendra, Vivek Sharma, Ahmed Alamoudi, Hammam Ahmed Bahammam, Maryam H Mugri, Sarah Ahmed Bahammam, Maha A. Bahammam, Bassam Zidane, Rao P. Abirami Nayaki, Janani Muralidharan, Pavithra H. Dave, Thodur Madapusi Balaji, Shilpa Bhandi, Shankargouda Patil. Red-Complex Bacterial Levels in Pregnant Women With Preeclampsia and Chronic Periodontitis, International Dental Journal,
2022,ISSN 0020-6539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.identj.2022.10.003.