Gum disease: causes, symptoms, and treatment

Gum Disease Can Lead to Stillbirth," by Lisa Merolla, discussed the recently discovered connection between stillbirths and oral infection in mothers. Although the medical community had suspected a link between gum disease and pregnancy loss, there was no data to corroborate the controversial hypothesis. However, scientists recently isolated a strain of bacteria called F. nucleatum in a stillborn fetus. They ran a DNA probe that checked to determine if there was a matching strain of bacteria in the mother. The researchers discovered that the bacteria had originated in the mother's mouth. The mother had been experiencing heavy gum bleeding because of gingivitis, a disorder that is commonly associated with pregnancy. The gum bleeding allowed the bacteria to enter into the mother's bloodstream and from there it was transmitted to the unborn fetus. Merolla quoted Yiping Han, a microbiologist from Case Western University, who indicated that normally the immune defense systems would stop the bacteria from entering the placenta, but in this instance the mother's immune system was weakened because she had been suffering from an upper respiratory infection. Novak, as cited by Merolla, noted that "while physicians work to control vaginal and other bodily infections in pregnant women, the mouth is often overlooked" (2). He indicated that it was not common practice to control oral infections during pregnancy. Eschenbach, who was also cited by Merolla, summarized the article by stating, "Oral health is important anytime, especially during pregnancy" (2).

The author's purpose for writing the article was to inform the audience that there was an incontrovertible link between gum disease and pregnancy loss. By detailing how the infant became infected through the mother's excess gum bleeding, Merolla showed how a pregnancy could be lost because of gingivitis. This study and the article are both important because, as Novak mentioned, gum infections among pregnant women are rarely treated as a cause for concern. Her article brings awareness to the fact that this is actually a serious issue and that oral health is important at any time, but that it is especially important during pregnancy.

This article was published in Cosmos, which is a popular science magazine, and it presented the information at a level that was more appropriate for general public consumption than it might be for a practicing clinician or a student. As a student and a future dental hygienist, I was appreciative of the fact that Merolla brought this information to light, but I was also left wishing that I could have seen a peer-reviewed journal that documented the findings in greater detail. The article was complete for a general audience and it performed its function of making pregnant women aware that oral health is a serious issue, but from a hygienist's viewpoint, I would have liked to have seen the article presented in its original scholarly form because it would have included more information about how the disease was transmitted from mother to child.