Open Access<p>No association between the presence of periodontal disease and poor IVF outcomes: a pilot study</p>
Author(s) -
Dalia Khalife,
Ali Khalil,
Mohamad N Itani,
Fatin Khalifeh,
Sara Faour,
Anastasia Salame,
Ghina Ghazeeri
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of women's health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 45
ISSN - 1179-1411
DOI - 10.2147/ijwh.s202135
Subject(s) - periodontal disease , medicine , association (psychology) , gynecology , psychology , psychotherapist
Background: Periodontal disease can lead to bacteremia with release of cytokines, affecting implantation in women trying to conceive through in vitro fertilization (IVF). A potential association between maternal periodontal disease and poor IVF outcomes has been described. Objective: The aim of the study is to assess whether pre-existing periodontal disease has any effect on IVF parameters. Method: A pilot study composed of 34 women was conducted at a tertiary care center. Prior to IVF, dental examination, IVF parameters were collected. Results: Thirty-four women participated in the study. The outcomes of 28 women (82.3%) were analyzed. Out of the 28 patients, 17 patients had a positive pregnancy test (60.7%) with a total of 13 live births (46.4%) and 4 pregnancy losses (14.3%). Plaque and bleeding index scores were both lower in patients who achieved pregnancy after IVF yet did not reach statistical significance ( p =0.309 and 0.422). Comparison of mean values for the different infertility parameters showed no significant differences among women with different IVF outcomes ( p >0.05). Different degrees of inflammation of the gingiva did not have an effect on the different clinical parameters and the live birth rates. Conclusion: The evidence provided by the present study does not support the hypothesis. Addressing the status of oral health before any infertility treatment remains to be elucidated.