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Pregnant women who get non-surgical periodontal, or gum, disease treatment do not significantly increase the risk of preterm delivery, according to a study released Wednesday.
The findings came from the largest clinical study to date on whether treating gum disease during pregnancy can reduce later difficulties.
Some 823 women with periodontal disease who were 13 to 17 weeks pregnant took part in the study.
"Dental care during pregnancy has long been an issue dominated by caution more than data," said Larry Tabak, director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. The institute is part of the National Institutes of Health, which funded the study.
"The finding that periodontal treatment during pregnancy did not increase adverse events is important news for women, especially for those who will need to have their periodontal disease treated during pregnancy," Tabak said.
The results appear in this week's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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AFP 011924 GMT 11 06
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