Study finds infertility treatment affects periodontal health
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Posted June 29, 2004 |
Women receiving ovulation induction therapy to treat infertility for more than three menstrual cycles show higher levels of gingival inflammation and other markers of periodontal disease that may affect reproduction success and infertility treatment outcomes, Turkish researchers report.
The World Health Organization estimates that 8 percent to 10 percent of couples worldwide experience some form of fertility problem, often leading to treatment with therapies that stimulate the ovaries to produce more healthy follicles.
Researchers from Cukurova University in Turkey compared gingival inflammation levels of women undergoing ovulation induction infertility treatment with those of women not receiving such therapy.
They found that despite similar plaque levels, women receiving the infertility treatment for more than three menstrual cycles had higher levels of gingival inflammation, bleeding and gingival crevicular fluid, which contains enzymes and tissue breakdown products that have been studied as potential markers for the progression of periodontal disease.
"These effects are presumably correlated with the increased levels of progesterone and estrogen," said lead investigator Dr. Cenk M. Haytac. "Gingiva is a target tissue for estrogen since it contains specific high-affinity estrogen receptors."
Since previous research has associated the presence of infection with unsuccessful embryo development and implantation, the current study results suggest that the chronic bacterial infections associated with periodontal disease may affect reproduction success and infertility treatment outcomes.
"It is reasonable to assume that if low levels of plaque are established and maintained during the infertility treatment, gingival inflammation would not affect the success of infertility treatment," said Dr. Michael P. Rethman, president of the American Academy of Periodontology. "This would require meticulous oral hygiene and routine professional cleanings, perhaps at the beginning of each menstrual cycle to ensure the presence of healthy gums."
The full results of the study appear in the June 2004 issue of the Journal of Periodontology.
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