Dental Health During Pregnancy
It is extremely important that as-a-mother-to-be, you take care of your gums, as the health of your gums may affect the health of your baby-to-be.
‘A tooth lost for every child,’ could be an old wives’ tale, but it is true that a pregnant woman’s teeth and gums are affected by pregnancy, just as other tissues in the body. It is extremely important that as-a-mother-to-be, you take care of your gums, as infected gums can affect the health of the baby-to-be too.
What you eat during the nine months of pregnancy affects the development of your unborn child’s teeth. Your baby’s teeth begin to develop between the third and sixth month of pregnancy, so it is important that you receive sufficient amounts of nutrients – especially calcium, protein, phosphorous, and vitamins A, C, and D needed for your baby’s teeth and bones. If dietary calcium is inadequate, your body may try to provide this mineral from stores in your bones.
It’s best to eat a balanced diet and avoid starchy and sugary snacks between meals. During pregnancy, many women have the desire to eat between meals. While this is a normal urge, frequent snacking on carbohydrate-containing foods can invite tooth decay. The decay process begins with plaque, an invisible, sticky layer of harmful bacteria that constantly forms on teeth.
The plaque leads to gingivitis, causing the gums to become red and tender that bleed when you brush. The situation is worsened by the increased level of progesterone in your body during pregnancy. Your dentist may recommend more frequent cleanings during your second trimester or early third trimester to help you avoid problems.
Brush your teeth thoroughly twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque. Be sure to clean between your teeth daily with floss or interdental cleaners.
Excess plaque can cause “pregnancy tumors” — reddish overgrowths of gum tissue — to appear on the gums during the second trimester. These localized growths bleed easily and are often surgically removed after the baby is born. If you experience pregnancy tumors, see your dentist. Untreated gingivitis can destroy the fibers and bone that support and hold the teeth. Worse still, it can lead to pre-term labor and low birth weight babies. The reason for this is that oral bacteria contain prostaglandin, one of the hormones that are known to cause labor.
If you’re diagnosed with periodontal disease, your periodontist might recommend a common non-surgical procedure called scaling and root planing. During this procedure, your tooth-root surfaces are cleaned to remove plaque and tartar from deep periodontal pockets; this reduces the risk of pre-term births and alleviates many of the uncomfortable symptoms of gingivitis, such as swelling and tenderness of the gums.
Typically, X-rays, dental anesthetics, pain medications and antibiotics (especially tetracycline) are not prescribed during the first trimester, unless absolutely necessary. During the last three months of pregnancy, sitting for long periods of time in the dental chair can become uncomfortable. It’s best to schedule your dental visit during the fourth to sixth month of your pregnancy. This is because the first three months of pregnancy are thought to be of greatest importance in your child’s development. During the last trimester, stresses associated with dental visits can increase the incidence of prenatal complications.
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