Oral Health and Pregnancy

At the first indication that a woman discovers that she is pregnant, she schedules an appointment with her obstetrician.  What is often not on her radar is the importance of making sure she has an appointment scheduled with her dentist.

Why is a dental check-up a necessary component to maintaining the expectant mother’s overall health?  Because while many physical and emotional changes are experienced during pregnancy as a result of hormonal changes, what is less known is the fact that these hormonal variations can also affect the mother’s oral health.  Surges in the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, can act to expand the small blood vessels in the gums, thus increasing blood flow.  This makes it easier for certain gingivitis-causing bacteria to grow.  In addition, the higher level of progesterone present makes the gums more sensitive to the bacteria found in dental plaque and exacerbate the body’s response to those toxins.

For instance, there is a condition known as pregnancy gingivitis which typically appears between the second and eighth month of pregnancy.  This condition will present itself as redder-looking gums that may bleed only a little when brushing the teeth, to a more severe bleeding of gum tissue.  Furthermore, in the second trimester, a pregnant mom may notice an overgrowth of the gum tissue found between the teeth which bleeds easily.  This is referred to as a “pregnancy tumor”.  It is a benign and not a cancerous situation and will usually resolve once the baby is born.

Pregnancy hormones don’t cause gingivitis by themselves — the irritants in plaque need to be present first. So if you experience the signs and symptoms mentioned above, you’ll want to redouble your oral hygiene efforts.  Left untreated, gingivitis, can progress to a more serious form of gum disease called periodontitis — a bacterial infection that attacks not just the gums but also the tooth-supporting bone beneath.  For these reasons, it is important for the newly pregnant woman to see a dentist as soon as possible for an oral and dental evaluation to determine if any dental care is necessary.  Dental emergencies should always be managed as they arise to treat pain and infection to eliminate stress and danger to the developing fetus.  As for any non-emergency dental procedures, it would be best to wait until after the baby’s birth.

What an expectant mother can do to insure a healthy mouth, a healthy body, and in turn, a healthy baby:

• Eat right.  Often pregnancy cravings include sweets which provide absolutely nothing in the way of nutrients. Sugar, unfortunately, happens to be the favorite food of disease-causing oral bacteria.  If this craving is irresistible, try to eat them only at mealtimes and be sure to brush your teeth afterwards.
• Maintain a good oral hygiene routine which includes brushing at least twice a day, flossing once a day, and using an anti-microbial mouth rinse.  If morning (or afternoon/evening) sickness is a problem, do not brush immediately after throwing up. This is because the enamel on your teeth which has been temporarily softened up by the acid coming from the stomach, can be more easily removed.  Instead, rinse with a teaspoon of baking soda (or even just plain water) dissolved in a cup of water to neutralize the acid and then wait a full hour before brushing.
• Book an appointment for a professional dental cleaning and exam.  And be sure to tell your dental hygienist the happy news!