Abstract
An increase in the prevalence and severity of gingival inflammation during pregnancy has been reported since the 1960s. Though the etiology is not fully known, it is believed that increasing plasma sex steroid hormone levels during pregnancy have a dramatic effect on the periodontium. Current works of research have shown that estrogen and progesterone increasing during pregnancy are supposed to be responsible for gingivitis progression. This review is focused not only on epidemiological studies, but also on the effects of progesterone and estrogen on the change of subgingival microbiota and immunologic physiological mediators in periodontal tissue (gingiva and periodontal ligament), which provides current information about the effects of pregnancy on gingival inflammation.
Highlights
Periodontal health in pregnant women has become a field of research since the 1960s, resulting in a flurry of studies to focus on it [1]
Two most recent cohort studies were performed according to this proposal. Differed from those studies described above, these studies included the healthy periodontium without any gingival inflammation and excellent oral hygiene marked with fairly low plaque index in the subject criteria
For the reason that pregnancy probably has an effect only on the gingiva and has no permanent effects on periodontal attachment, meantime, the effect of female sex hormones on periodontal ligament and tooth supporting alveolar bone has rarely been investigated [40]; this paper mainly focuses on the impact of progesterone and estrogen on two fibrous tissues and a review of the impact of hormones on alveolar bone is not given here
Summary
Periodontal health in pregnant women has become a field of research since the 1960s, resulting in a flurry of studies to focus on it [1]. Gingival inflammation associated with pregnancy has been initiated by dental plaque and exacerbated by endogenous steroid hormones [2]. It is mandatory to exclude the effects of previously existing periodontal inflammation and dental plaque in order to explore the sole effect of pregnancy on periodontal health, the works of research in this regard have rarely been performed. This narrative review summarizes the current status of epidemiological and mechanistic studies on the changes of periodontium during pregnancy, especially the normal periodontium in order to elucidate the effect of pregnancy on the progress of gingival inflammation
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