Gum Disease in Pregnant Moms: Lean babies & Early birth The mouth serves as a mirror to general health and also as a portal for disease to the rest of the body. Periodontitis, also generally called gum disease or pyorrhoea, begins with bacterial growth in the mouth and may end -- if not properly treated -- with tooth loss due to destruction of the tissue that surrounds your teeth . . Gum diseases are among the most common diseases in humans, affecting 5% to 30% of the adult population. A number of factors are responsible for this viz. poor oral hygiene, habits like tobacco & smoking, systemic illness like diabetes, hormonal changes like pregnancy. Of these, the association between periodontitis & adverse pregnancy outcomes like preterm birth & low birth weight babies is long been studied and documented. Pre-term birth is a major cause of infant mortality ...