Association between periodontal disease and gestational diabetes: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Aim

Periodontal disease (PD) can aggravate insulin resistance during pregnancy and trigger the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out. Two researchers carried out a literature search using internet databases. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected. OR was used as the measure of association. The fixed effects model was applied, and due to the presence of heterogeneity, the DerSimonian and Laird random effects model was applied. The level of significance was p < 0.05. The presence of biases was assessed using the Egger test and the funnel plot.

Results

Of the 176 articles found, 11 were included. 2032 pregnant women were analyzed, of which 572 developed GDM. It was found that PD was a risk factor for developing GDM when all studies were assessed (OR=1.83 95 % CI 1.25–2.69, p < 0.0017) and when analyzing only those that included an adjusted OR (OR= 1.83 95 % CI 1.31–2.56, p < 0.004).

Conclusions

PD poses a high risk of suffering from GDM. The development of oral health programs in women who wish to conceive is essential to improve metabolic control and reduce obstetric and perinatal complications.