Dental Care Resources

1.) You may suffer from bleeding gums:

It is extremely common to find that your gums bleed more easily while you are pregnant. Many pregnant women experience this problem even when brushing or flossing their teeth very gently. In addition, you might notice that your gums are tender and slightly swollen, particular during (or after) eating harder foods. If your gums are causing you to experience substantial discomfort, your dentist can offer advice and professionally clean your mouth so as to reduce your chances of developing an infection in the areas that have been bleeding.

2.) Morning sickness increases your risk of tooth decay:
Morning sickness is extremely bad for your teeth, and it can lead to tooth decay if you vomit almost every day for several months. If you are plagued by particularly bad morning sickness, make sure that you always rinse your mouth with cold and clean water immediately after vomiting. This will help to wash away the stomach acid that might otherwise damage the enamel of your teeth.

3.) You should avoid elective procedures during pregnancy:
While most compulsory dental treatments are perfectly safe during your pregnancy, you should always make sure that your dentist knows you are pregnant when you discuss the possibility of undergoing any procedures. In addition, experts tend to recommend that you simply delay elective treatments until after your baby is born, as it is still unclear whether procedures like tooth whitening have any long-term ramifications for the health of unborn children. Similarly, you should not have any amalgam fillings replaced during pregnancy in case mercury inadvertently enters your child’s bloodstream.

4.) The second trimester is the best time to have dental treatment:
If you are going to undergo any compulsory dental procedures, you may want to try to schedule these for some time during the second trimester of your pregnancy. After this point, lying on your back for more than an hour at a time can prove to be uncomfortable or even painful.

5.) You should also avoid dental x-rays during pregnancy:
Since x-rays can harm your baby, your dentist will avoid using an X-ray in your mouth in almost all cases. Although data analyzed by the American College of Radiology suggests that a single x-ray does not have the power to damage your unborn child, dentists will typically abstain from ordering diagnostic x-rays unless your dental health clearly depends on information that only an x-ray can provide.

6.) There is no truth to the rumor that pregnancy directly causes tooth loss:
You may have heard people say that a woman will lose one tooth per pregnancy, but there is no data suggesting that this is anything more than a myth.

7.) Avoiding certain habits will promote your baby’s dental health while you are pregnant:
Although there are more important reasons to abstain from drinking or smoking during pregnancy, it is also the case that these habits can lead to problems with your child’s oral health. Drinking and smoking both make you more likely to give birth to an underweight baby, and underweight babies are at a higher risk of having brittle tooth enamel. In addition, recent studies show that the adult teeth behind your child’s milk teeth are typically weaker if you choose to smoke or drink during pregnancy.

8.) Your diet can also have a positive influence on your unborn baby’s teeth:
Finally, note that what you choose to eat can make your child more likely to be born with strong and healthy teeth. For example, if you make sure that you have a high calcium intake then your baby will probably have less brittle teeth (and bones). It is recommended that you get your calcium from milk and cheese, but all such diary products must be pasteurized. This warning is issued mainly because unpasteurized products may contain the bacterium listeria, which has been known to lead to miscarriages and stillbirths.

Next time you are planning your pregnancy, or if you are in pregnancy, make sure you take these tips into consideration. Knowing how to keep great dental care throughout your life (and life experiences), is a great supplement to your overall dental hygiene.