Is Gum Disease linked to Fertility?

In a recent study conducted in Australia, Dr. Roger Hart, a professor at the University of Western Australia, concluded for the first time that from the time when she starts trying to conceive, a woman's chance of becoming pregnant might be directly related to how well she takes care of her oral hygiene. This is the first published study that investigates the connection between gum disease and a woman's fertility. The SMILE project tested 3,400 pregnant women, and found that women with gum disease took on average, 2 months longer to conceive than women without gum disease. Non Caucasian women were most affected; they were estimated to take 12 months or longer to conceive if affected by gum disease. Hart suggested that this group of women may have been the most affected because they also appeared to have the highest level of inflammatory response when suffering from Periodontitis. For more information on the SMILE, or the relationship between gum disease and pregnancy, please visit, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com