Gestational diabetes could be caused by periodontal disease

The effect of the teeth on the health of the rest of the body is obvious. To many medical and dental experts it comes as no surprise that a new study has clearly established a link between periodontal disease and gestational diabetes.
The research was conducted at the Tulane University in New Orleans, and shows a clear link between the two conditions. Gestational diabetes is a rarer form of type 2 diabetes that can affect between 2 and 5 per cent of pregnant women. Periodontal disease is a condition that affects the mouth and gums, and is usually caused by bad oral hygiene.
The researchers used data taken from over 250 pregnant women who were a part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study, and found that a surprisingly large percentage of gestational diabetes cases seemed to be caused by poor dental hygiene.
The research, which has been published in the October edition of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, concluded that regular dental care was a good idea in preventing the development of gestational diabetes.