To monitor the dental health of pregnant women.

To monitor the dental health of pregnant women 1020, Offenbach and his colleagues found that periodontal disease who suffered from moderate and severe (14 per cent of women) were twice as likely to give birth to premature babies than those who had gum healthy. The difference remained even when results were adjusted to reflect factors such as age of the mother, previous preterm birth and socioeconomic differences.
Offenbach is currently the leading researcher of a study conducted among several centers for five years who is recruiting 1800 pregnant women and treating periodontal disease to determine whether the treatment reduces the risk of premature birth. In just three years, he said, there will be good information to determine whether or not treating gum disease can reduce the risk of premature birth.