People often say the eyes are the window to your soul. If that is true, your mouth is the window to your body. Prenatal pregnancy dental care is one of the most overlooked issues for pregnant women, and if ignored, can cause a host of problems.
A healthy mouth is an indication of a healthy body.
Signs of many diseases or ailments can show up in your mouth. If you are taking care of your mouth at home and getting routine checkups, your dentist can potentially catch concerning signs early. Discovering signs of any disease early will make care and treatment more effective with less impact on your body.
When you are pregnant, many changes are taking place in your body. Regular checkups and routine dental care will help keep you and your baby healthy.
Every pregnant woman must visit her dentist.
Often, you will hear the myth that you should not visit the dentist when you are pregnant. Let’s bust that myth right now.
Hormonal changes happen throughout your body, including your mouth.
Although some women can make it nine months with no dental discomfort, many women develop inflammation of the gums which leads to swelling and tenderness (known as gingivitis).
Gingivitis may cause your gums to bleed when you brush or floss. Left untreated, gingivitis can lead to more serious forms of gum disease, throughout the pregnancy, as well as post-partum.
Get a jumpstart on gingivitis with a dental checkup and teeth cleaning at the end of your first trimester. Follow with a second checkup and cleaning at the end of the second trimester.
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Don't overlook dental care during your pregnancy!
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Your Chances of Getting Cavities While You are Pregnant is Higher – and Sugar is NOT the Reason!
You may have the urge to eat more treats while you are pregnant, but sweets are not the reason you are more likely to get cavities.
Acid, not sugar, is the culprit behind cavities. The truth is, you can eat as much sugar as you want (although we don't advise that for other health reasons).
- Morning sickness increases the amount of acid in your mouth.
- Eating more carbohydrates than usual to curb nausea or to satisfy cravings will add more acid as well.
- Sugar does play a part, though. Sugar gives the bad bacteria a perfect meal to create even more acid in your mouth.
So not only is your body creating more acid, the acid is more likely to be retained in your mouth. All of this acid begins to erode tooth enamel. That’s how cavities are formed.
Dental Care Becomes a Challenge When Pregnant
A lot of us have healthy dental routines, brushing twice a day and flossing regularly. But these practices can fall away while you are pregnant. Here are 4 reasons:
- Morning sickness
- A more sensitive gag reflex
- Tender gums
- Outright exhaustion
All of these factors can cause us to give less care and attention to our mouth. Often, this will lead to new problems or a worsening of old problem. Oral complications while you are pregnant impact your health. Any change in your health has a risk to impact the health of your baby.
Some Women Suffer From Overgrowths of Gum Tissue Called "Pregnancy Tumors" Most Often During the Second Trimester.
Pregnancy tumors ... what an awful name.
Let me be clear: a pregnancy tumor is not cancer but rather a swelling that happens most often between your teeth. They bleed easily and have a red, raw-looking raspberry-like appearance.
About 20% of women get pregnancy tumors during pregnancy. After your baby is born the tumors will usually disappear, but if you are concerned, you can talk to your dentist about removing them.
Brushing and flossing, professional cleanings with your dentist, and controlling the acidity in your mouth are the solutions to controlling the health of your teeth, gums, and body during your pregnancy.
I know firsthand how pregnancy can impact the health of gums, teeth, and even bone structure. Though I am a dentist, I went through horrible challenges during my pregnancy.
Get Your Copy of the Ultimate Prenatal Dental Guide
Don't overlook dental care during your pregnancy!
Get Your Copy Now »
A Dentist’s Confession: My Struggle with Oral Care While Pregnant
My pregnancy was a shock, so I was not ready physically or mentally to carry a child for nine months. My body did not respond well.
Morning sickness hit me all day long. I vomited 7 to 14 times each day for eight months. One time, I had to excuse myself while seeing a patient to rush to the bathroom.
Have you ever been car sick? Or motion sick from a roller coaster? Imagine feeling that way without a break for eight months.
I share this because when you are pregnant, oral hygiene is the last thing on your mind.
- Putting a regular size toothbrush in my mouth felt like sticking a log in my throat. It would cause me to gag and vomit.
- Flossing was a challenge because my gums were constantly inflamed and bleeding. Flossing wasn’t an option either because I couldn’t put my hands in my mouth without gagging. For three months, I avoided flossing because it would make me vomit.
- My mouth was acidic and always had a weird taste. I couldn’t use mouthwash or rinse because the peppermint flavor made me sick. I couldn’t drink water for three months. Just the sight of water made me feel sick. This caused severe dehydration and I went to the emergency room three times during my pregnancy.
This "Excessive Vomiting" Is Called Hyperemesis Gravidarum, and It Is An Unforeseen Challenge For Pregnant Women.
Because of poor oral hygiene, my dental implant became infected. The implant was in the front of my mouth. The crown had to be removed, and I had no front tooth for three months.
It was terribly embarrassing.
Yes, I was a dentist walking around with bad breath and no front tooth. My mouth was so acidic it caused halitosis.
Luckily, I had monthly cleanings throughout my pregnancy. These cleanings saved my dental health and prevented cavities. Dentistry is not expensive, neglect is. Maintenance is key.
After my pregnancy, I was determined to figure out why all of this happened to me. You do not have to go through what I went through.
You Deserve A Happy, Healthy Pregnancy.
A dental infection, whether it is in your gums or a tooth, increases the inflammatory cells in your body. In some cases, this leads to an increase in inflammatory factors (cytokines and prostaglandins) in your body, which can lead to premature labor and lower birth weight.
It is rare, but why take the chance?
Avoid the risk by decreasing the chance for dental disease and keep oral bacteria under control.
You Must Control the Acidity in Your Mouth to Avoid Inflammation:
Causes of inflammation can be broken down into two factors; internal factors that are coming up to your mouth and external factors coming in through your mouth.
- Internal factors are generally brought on by hormonal changes during pregnancy. These hormones cause excessive nausea and vomiting, lethargy, and swollen gums.
- External factors include food you eat, such as a cracker or a piece of bread to help combat nausea, and decreased attention to proper oral hygiene.
Specifically, the cytokines and prostaglandins induce this inflammation, but the technical terms don’t matter. What matters is you can do something about it. Take the extra precautions for your mouth and teeth. Your oral health affects your baby.
See your dentist before you plan to get pregnant. Or, if you are surprised by pregnancy like I was, see your dentist right away.
Get Your Copy of the Ultimate Prenatal Dental Guide
Don't overlook dental care during your pregnancy!
Get Your Copy Now »
I Was Depressed for Ten Months with Postpartum, But Then I Decided To Do Something About It.
Once the pH drops below 5.5, enamel starts to break down -- making the tooth structure weaker and more prone to decay. Even if you are too tired or too sick to brush and floss, make sure you rinse with an alkaline rinse to neutralize that acidity.My struggle put me at such a low point in my life - I was depressed for ten months postpartum. Over the next few months, I talked to over 200 women about the problems they experienced while pregnant.
Over 85% reported dental discomfort or pain.
Morning sickness and carb munching to keep nausea in check will cause the pH of your mouth to drop significantly.
Your 3-Step Prenatal Pregnancy Dental Care Protocol
Pre-Pregnancy:
- Visit your dentist for a comprehensive clinical exam, full mouth X-Rays, oral cancer screening, and get assurance from your dentist your gums and teeth are free of dental disease.
- If there are any dental concerns, be proactive and get it cleared up before you get pregnant.
- Discuss proper oral hygiene with your dentist.
During Pregnancy:
- Pay close attention to your oral hygeine. Stay tuned for something amazing Dr. Leedia is about to launch to assist you with this).
- Visit your dentist at the end of the first trimester for a clinical exam and cleaning.
- If you have any questions at all, please leave a comment below, visit www.rdentalgroup.com, or email us at info@rdentalgroup.com.
Dr. Leedia Riman, DDS
Dr. Leedia Riman completed a double major with high honors in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of California, Davis and earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the UCLA School of Dentistry. She completed her formal education as an Advanced Education in General Dentistry resident at the Veterans Affairs hospital in San Antonio, Texas before opening R Dental Group in Beverly Hills, California with her two brothers.Read More...
