What to Expect with Your Dental Health When You’re Expecting

Dental health is always important, but when you are building a tiny skeletal system for your baby it can take a toll on not only your physical health but also your oral health.

The demands of pregnancy can lead to particular dental problems in some women. During pregnancy, your increased hormones can affect your body's response to plaque, which means you experience more bleeding bleeding gums and gum disease. If you are pregnant and you are noticing changes to your gum health or the way your teeth feel when eating, it’s best to get it checked. Gingivitis, or inflammation of the gums is quite common during pregnancy and left unchecked can result in periodontitis. This is more serious and can lead to prematurity and low birth weight.  

If you are experiencing morning sickness and associated vomiting, this can also lead to erosion of the enamel on your teeth. You might be tempted to brush your teeth straight away, but this can cause more harm to the enamel on your teeth. The best thing you can do it to rinse your mouth with water or alternatively chew some sugar free gum, this will help increase the acidic pH in the mouth back to a neutral level and will assist to keep decay causing bacteria at bay.

Routine dental care can be done any time during pregnancy in addition to any urgent procedures, these are all safe during pregnancy. You are less likely to have dental problems during pregnancy if you already have good oral hygiene habits, so keep up the brushing and flossing! With proper dental hygiene at home and professional help from your dentist, your teeth should stay healthy during pregnancy.