The Obstetric Intellect: Periodontal Disease in Pregnancy

What happens in the mouth does not stay in the mouth. Bleeding gums in pregnancy are not just a nuisance—they may double the risk of preterm birth and other complications.

The patient who couldn’t chew

She was in her second trimester, a healthy 28-year-old, glowing with excitement about her first baby. But she came into my office not because of her pregnancy, but because her gums were so swollen and painful she could barely chew. Every time she brushed her teeth, her toothbrush came back red with blood. She was embarrassed…