Oral health and gestational diabetes at Provincial Diabetes Care Center

Introduction: gestation increases the susceptibility to periodontal problems associated with levels of female sex hormones that favor inflammation. Pregnant women present xerostomia due to polyuria and affect the basal membrane of the salivary gland cells, which aggravate the bacterial growth and the decrease of the defensive properties of the saliva and the periodontium. Objective: to describe oral health problems in pregnant women with gestational diabetes attended in the outpatient clinic of the Provincial Center for Diabetic Care. Methods: retrospective, cross-sectional study, in the outpatient clinic from January 2017 to December 2018, made up of a total of 114 pregnant women. They underwent an oral examination, with diagnosis, orientation and referral to the second level of medical and periodontal care. Results: differences were found according to skin color: 33.5% of white patients were under 25 years old and had an incidence of 58.6% with gingivitis and 55.1% with periodontitis, 44.4% were black and older than 25 years old; 33.3% had gingivitis and 58.3% periodontitis. In decreasing order: caries, gingivitis, edentulism, gingival retraction and xerostomy. Conclusions: periodontal therapy is a need for treatment protocols before the 25th week of gestation and a means to improve the oral and systemic health of pregnant women. To evaluate periodontal affections as a problem associated with oral factors and systemic risks typical of the metabolic endocrine phenomenon and pregnancy physiology.