PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING
Take care of your mouth during pregnancy
Do not allow oral-dental health problems ruin your smile, future mum. Learn how to take care of your mouth during pregnancy.
The saying that “Each pregnancy costs a tooth”, as our grandmothers said, is not true at all today. Under the control of a good orthodontist, with good dental hygiene and correct dietetic habits, it is normal that when your child is born, you can have your best smile without complexes.
Yes, you do have to be especially attentive, seeing as if you do not take care of yourself, the hormonal changes that you experience in these months certainly could affect your oral-dental health.
Most frequent problems:
Gingivitis or inflammation of the gums, is the most usual problem that pregnant women have, above all, in the third trimester.
The gums look red, swollen, sensitive and bleed easily on chewing or brushing your teeth. It is due to the action of the prolactin and oestrogen, hormones that instigate a better blood supply in the whole body, including the oral tissues. And it is more frequent in those people who had it before the pregnancy.
It is not a serious problem. (70% of pregnant women experiment gingiva alterations), but only if they neglect medical control and hygiene. In this case, seeing as during gestation the bacteria in the mouth increase, gingivitis could derive in periodontal disease, an infection of the tissues that join the bone to the teeth, and it may trigger the loss of some dental piece.
Another alteration that must be watched in these months is the rapid evolution of cavities. The increase in metabolism, the changes in the bacterial flora and the greater appetite of pregnant women for sweet foods can make the deterioration of the enamel progress at great speed.
To tackle these problems, as well as halitosis (bad breath, due to vomiting or gastro-oesophageal reflux, the sialorrhea (excess of saliva, that can be very acidic) or oral canker sores (also more frequent at this stage), the best thing is for you to visit us.
The ideal situation is for you to begin your pregnancy with a healthy mouth, without cavities, tartar, gingivitis, gumboils,etc.
There is clear evidence that uncontrolled periodontal disease increases the risk of having an immature or premature new born. Preterm birth constitutes an important health problem because, although the perinatal mortality rate has been reduced drastically in developed countries, it is among premature children where the few deaths that still exist are concentrated. In addition, the economic cost of hospital care to these children is very high and the suffering of the parents of the new born is immense. Studies of research carried out show that periodontal disease in pregnant women can be a significant risk factor of premature births of low weight. The influence of this factor could even be compared to smoking or alcohol consumption.
Take into account that your oral-dental health also affects the health of your child. In any case, ask for an appointment at the beginning of the pregnancy and visit us again at least one more time during these months, even though your mouth is healthy.
Asensio Dental Clinic, Advanced orthodontics.
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