Periodontal Diseases as a Risk Factor for Systemic Diseases
Premature births
One in every eight babies is born in the United States before completing 37 weeks of gestation. There are four main routes that lead to prematurity: (1) maternal or fetal stress; (2) infections; (3) bleeding of the uterus; and (4) overstretched uterus. African American women are at higher risk for delivering a premature baby. Although prematurity is associated with lower socio-economic conditions, that is not the only reason African American women have a higher risk. Familial aggregation has been clearly demonstrated in prematurity and studies of the molecular pathways involved in prematurity are now being initiated. Our lab has initiated the effort to study women at risk of having premature babies to identify genetic markers that may increase the risk of prematurity.
Cardiovascular Conditions
There is indication that periodontal disease increases the risk of cardiovascular problems. To investigate this possible connection, complete dental status of individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease will be evaluated with the hypothesis that an underlying oral condition may increase the risk of cardiovascular problems.