It is very important for women who are pregnant, and those who are contemplating pregnancy to ensure that they are in perfect health, physically, mentally and emotionally. When speaking of physical health, it is important that special attention is paid to dental health and hygiene. In case this is neglected, it could have a bad impact on the mother to be and the unborn child.
Your body undergoes many major changes throughout pregnancy. Hormone levels change and this in turn makes your teeth and gums more vulnerable due to build up of bacteria in the mouth. These bacteria may also cause other kinds of infection in parts of the body other than the mouth. Dental hygiene and care during pregnancy is thus of prime importance for the health of both the mother and her fetus.
Some conditions that may develop and affect oral health during pregnancy
Pregnancy is a time of change. Your body undergoes many changes and so does your oral health. If some adverse changes occur and they are detected early, they can be easily treated and oral hygiene can be maintained. Some of the conditions that can develop and if left untreated can worsen are described here.
Pregnancy Gingivitis: this is a very common phenomenon that affects pregnant women. Gingivitis during pregnancy is usually a result of bacteria that gets trapped in between your teeth; it is very common in women who have spaces between their teeth that provide a breeding ground for bacteria. If diagnosed early enough, pregnancy gingivitis can be easily treated.
Symptoms that you may have pregnancy gingivitis: if you develop bad breath or Halitosis or if your gums appear to be receding, red, swollen or tender, if you feel your teeth have become loose, if you see pus along the gums or experience a change in your bite, then it is possible that you have developed pregnancy gingivitis.
It is essential that you visit your dentist and treat these conditions so that they are arrested and no further damage to oral health occurs. If left untreated, pregnancy gingivitis can get worse and turn into periodontal disease. Periodontal disease can create more health problems for pregnant women and their fetus as compared to pregnancy gingivitis.
Periodontal Disease: when gingivitis is not detected and treated in time, it can go on to become worse and turn into periodontal disease (periodontitis).
Symptoms that you may have developed periodontitis:
The first thing you need to know about Periodontal disease is that it can also be asymptomatic, which means that there may be no symptoms that manifest at all, but all the while it wears away your gums and erodes the supporting bone structure. Erosion of gums and the bone structure is one of the effects of Periodontal disease that may lead to further complications.
Sometimes some symptoms manifest and these are similar to pregnancy gingivitis such as bleeding, swollen, painful gums, bad breath or halitosis, loose teeth resulting in loss of teeth, or infection in the mouth and gums.
Though periodontal disease can affect anyone not necessarily only pregnant women, it can create more problems for pregnant women than others as they could be exposed to premature labor, or the birth weight of the new born baby could be below healthy normal weight. It is thus recommended that you visit your dentist at the earliest to treat any untoward oral health conditions.
Pregnancy Tumors (Pyogenic Granulomas) are another oral health condition that Pregnant women with gingivitis or periodontal disease are more vulnerable to. Tumors develop in the mouth and are very painful. They cause discomfort and make eating, chewing and talking uncomfortable. Pyogenic Granulomas can be removed during your pregnancy without any problems. After all you do need to eat properly during your pregnancy.
Planning your Dental Visits during Pregnancy
Schedule regular periodic visits to the dentist in the second trimester of your pregnancy, (that is between 3rd and 6th month of your pregnancy) to ensure that you have no oral health problems that may be developing. It is safe only to have routine dental checkups during pregnancy and leave any cosmetic or restorative dental treatments until after the baby is born.
Visits to the dentist to treat conditions such as pregnancy gingivitis, periodontitis are a must, but there are some procedures that are an absolute no – no or not at all recommended during pregnancy. These are described here:
Any procedure that requires X-rays should be avoided. Though dental x-rays produce small amounts of radiation, they are nevertheless harmful to the fetus.
Any procedure that requires extensive dental work should be avoided. This means Restorative procedures such as full coverage crowns, or inlays and onlays, or cosmetic dental procedures that are meant to enhance just the appearance and do not affect oral health, and any treatment where you need to sit in a dental chair for long periods of time because sitting in a dentist’s chair for a long time will cause sluggish blood flow. It also causes constriction of blood vessels that supply blood to your lower limbs and that may cause a feeling of dizziness or fainting. None of these are advised.
Tips for Pregnant Women to maintain Daily oral hygiene
Do Brush and Floss three times a day. This will stop any build up of bacteria in the mouth. Sometimes brushing with strongly flavored toothpaste may not agree with women who suffer from morning sickness. In these cases check if you can use an anti-bacterial mouth wash, or look for a flavor of toothpaste that agrees with you.
Eat and Maintain an overall Healthy Diet that includes calcium, B12 and vitamin C. these minerals and vitamins are essential for strong teeth and gums.
Oral health and general health are directly related. Any problem in the mouth cavity will affect your overall health adversely. Thus it is important that you maintain a high level of oral and general health during your pregnancy. It is a well known fact that healthy mothers give birth to healthy babies. So do ensure that you schedule a visit to your dentist to ensure good oral health along with your other routine check ups.
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