Can Periodontal disease during pregnancy cause preterm births? A recent study indicates that perhaps it's so.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania studied 1000 would-be-mothers with symptoms of gum disease in which 160 were diagnosed with gum disease. Women who were not treated for gum disease had a higher chance of delivering before 35 weeks, or preterm. Those who received treatment for gum disease faced a lesser risk than those who didn't.  The study also found that children born to women with untreated gum disease had a higher risk of tooth decay problems.

The study was presented at the American Association for Dental Research.