Abstract
Many of our patients grow up with sayings like this, and many still believe dental treatment during pregnancy is unsafe. In Dubai, fewer than one in five pregnant women visit a dentist while pregnant. Meanwhile, rising hormones make the gingiva a target organ, pregnancy gingivitis is common, and existing periodontitis can progress.
This lecture approaches the pregnant patient as an investigation. It follows the trail from the periodontal pocket to the placenta, examines the biological pathways linking maternal periodontitis with preterm birth, and puts the evidence on trial: what observational studies suggest, what randomised controlled trials have shown, and what we can, and cannot, promise our patients.
The second half is practical: how to assess the pregnant patient, red flags in the chair, the safest timing for treatment, local anaesthesia and medications, positioning, managing the pregnancy epulis, when to refer to the periodontist or obstetrician, and how to coach exceptional oral hygiene from pre-conception to after delivery. Recommendations are aligned with current Dubai Health Authority guidance.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lecture, participants will be able to:
- Recognise the periodontal and oral changes of pregnancy and separate common myths from evidence.
- Explain the proposed links between periodontitis and preterm birth, and interpret what intervention trials show.
- Assess, treat and refer pregnant patients safely and confidently, in line with current UAE guidance.
