Gum Disease Linked To Premature Births

BOSTON -- A new study raises alarming new concerns about what causes premature births.

A new study found that it could be that germs in the mother's mouth are as dangerous as smoking and drinking.

If you're pregnant, a periodontal checkup should top your prenatal care checklist.

"We've known for years that pregnancy can influence the progression of periodontal disease in a mother's mouth, and it can really take off unabated. But what we're finding now, is that it can have a profound effect on the unborn fetus," Tufts Dental School Dr. Terrence Griffin said.

Bacteria spread through the mother's bloodstream is to blame for almost one in five pre-term deliveries, according to researchers from Duke and the University of North Carolina.

According to their research, mom's gum disease increases her risk of delivering prematurely by 50 percent. That's about the same as from drinking alcohol and smoking.

Gum disease experts said that it's a risk that with very simple treatment can be prevented.

It starts with cleanings every three months and a good exam -- checking the gums for bleeding, swelling, pink dental floss and odor. Since gum disease isn't painful, it's often untreated.

"There are all sorts of things out there -- antibiotics, antibicrobials -- that can help to resolve the problem, at least in the short term, and protect your baby without harming the fetus," Griffin said.

In a lab at Brigham and Women's Hospital, researchers are working on a chemical solution that could be rubbed on the gums to fight bacteria.

"That it could be topically active, (and) that it could be used in dental floss or embedded in a toothbrush, something like that," Brigham and Women's Hospital spokesman Sean Colgan said. "So very creative ideas are in the process right now."

But clinical trials are a year away.

For now, experts said that women who are pregnant or trying to conceive must consider what's lurking in their mouth a risk factor, and brush up on prevention.