Why Oral Health Matters More During Pregnancy

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Becoming pregnant is often the reason to rejoice and celebrate, especially if you’re feeling great. However, not all women who get pregnant are blessed with an uncomplicated pregnancy and spared any health issues. While some women breeze through their nine months in pure bliss, others struggle with many issues. No matter how you might be feeling, it’s important to focus on your oral health a bit more than before. Here’s why.

Gum Disease Is Linked to Preterm Deliveries

Unfortunately, scientists are still unable to explain why or how, but about 18% of prematurely born infants with low birth weight are born due to periodontal disease in their mothers. The numbers are scary, and another deeply frightening statistic shows that babies delivered preterm and with low birth weight have a much higher risk of infant mortality as well as some long-term health issues. This means that expecting mothers with a history of gum disease and gum problems should definitely pay more attention to their oral health during pregnancy, lest they face complications or even preterm delivery.

Your Baby’s Teeth Are at Risk Too

As if all nausea and back pain isn’t enough, pregnant women also often experience oral health problems; but the worst thing is that a mom’s bad teeth can negatively affect a baby’s teeth. If a mom has untreated cavities, her newborn is at risk of experiencing tooth decay as a baby or later on in childhood. Pregnancy is a great time to make sure your teeth are healthy, as you might find it difficult to treat any cavities after childbirth due to the lack of time or if you’re breastfeeding. Cavity-causing bacteria can easily spread from mom to her newborn baby through saliva, and the child is at risk from the very birth.

Pregnancy Gingivitis Is a Thing

We already mentioned the increased risk of preterm deliveries when a mom has problems with her gums, but you should be on your guard when you get pregnant, even if you haven’t had gum issues before. This is because severe hormonal changes during pregnancy can affect your gums in unexpected ways, and you might develop gingivitis without any warning signs. Pregnancy is the time when women are more likely to experience periodontal disease, but that’s not all. Those who do so also report that the cases of periodontal disease are more severe than those of non-pregnant women. Pregnancy gingivitis appears due to those hormonal fluctuations, and CDC reports that about 60-75% of pregnant women suffer from it.

Change Your Habits

If you’re feeling bad while pregnant, it’s easy to just stay in your bed and wait for the arrival of your baby. However, if you change your habits early on, you might be able to avoid dental health problems. You can easily book dentist appointments online and keep in touch with your dentist to ensure that your teeth and gums are in great condition. Make sure you’re flossing daily and brush your teeth every morning after you wake up, as well as every evening before you go to bed. If the taste of toothpaste makes you feel even more nauseous, try brushing them using charcoal powder or coconut oil.

Take Your Baby To See the Dentist

Just like you should start taking good care of your teeth, you should learn a thing or two about taking care of children’s teeth. With babies, it’s easy to forget to brush, especially when they’re very small and their teeth first emerge, but the sooner you set up teeth brushing as a part of their daily routine, the easier it will be for you to take care of their teeth in the future. Take your baby to see the dentist early on even if you don’t notice any issues with their teeth – an appointment that’s pleasant and casual will do wonders for their health and kids will not be afraid to go back later on in life.

Just remember, your lifestyle choices when pregnant will affect not just you, but your baby too. This is why it’s a good idea to get rid of bad habits and start implementing positive changes into your daily routine. Visiting a dentist regularly during your pregnancy should be one of your top priorities. After all, you only get one set of teeth in this life, and it’s a good idea to take good care of them.

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