Do Your Teeth Get Worse During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is an interesting time in any woman’s life. It is the moment when the body experiences so many changes at once. These changes will not only affect the physical body but also impacts mental health. What many people do not understand is that pregnancy may be the time oral health deteriorates the most. If you’re not careful, you are susceptible to premature tooth loss and severe oral complications when you get pregnant. Therefore, other than your obstetrician-gynecologist, you need the attention of a family dentist in Brampton for your pregnancy journey.

What Does Pregnancy Have to Do with Oral Health?

Pregnant women don’t visit us at Rosedale Dental Care so we can care for their unborn babies’ oral health. Instead, every pregnant woman needs to visit a dentist regularly throughout their pregnancy. Various factors surrounding pregnancy can impact oral health, including the following:

1. Hormonal imbalances – high levels of the hormones progesterone and estrogen temporarily affect the bone and tissues that support and stabilize teeth. Besides, the imbalance in your hormonal levels can make your gums more vulnerable to plaque that results in oral infections.
2. Cravings – many women crave unhealthy foods and drinks during pregnancy. Overindulgence in sweet, acidic, or hard foods can damage teeth.
3. Nutrient deficiencies – if you are not eating healthily during pregnancy, you will have deficiencies of crucial minerals responsible for maintaining strong and healthy teeth.
4. Snacking between meals – it may be unfair to say that pregnant women are always hungry, but it is not baseless. Many women will snack between meals yet forget to brush their teeth after. It may create a conducive environment in your mouth for bacterial overgrowth.
5. Decreased attention to preventive dental care – your attention when you get pregnant quite literary changes to your unborn child. Dental measures for preventive dentistry may become small or seemingly non-issue during this time.
6. The body’s inflammatory response – as you approach the last trimester of pregnancy, your body will trigger an inflammatory response. It can lead to bacteria overgrowth as plaque and acids stick more to teeth and gums.
7. Nausea and throwing up – increase acidity in your mouth, which can heighten the risk of dental cavities.

What Happens to Mouth During Pregnancy?

Unless you are visiting a dentist near you frequently during your pregnancy, you are susceptible to the following oral problems during pregnancy:

1. Gum disease
2. Heightened tooth sensitivity
3. Dental decay and tooth cavities
4. Bleeding gums
5. Dysgeusia – a change in the taste of foods and drinks, often described as a metallic taste in your mouth.
6. Dental inflammation and pain
7. Weak and wiggling teeth that can even start falling off

The Risks of Oral Complications During Pregnancy

It may seem like your oral health cannot affect your pregnancy, but it is far from the truth. If you fail to seek treatment for your oral health, you may incur the following complications:

1. Periodontitis – is an advanced stage of gum disease with very severe oral effects.
2. Premature tooth loss – can happen during or soon after pregnancy.
3. Pre-term delivery – some research shows that severe gum disease can result in pre-term deliveries for pregnant women.
4. Gestational diabetes

How to Excel in Dental Health During Pregnancy

Although pregnancy can risk an unhealthy mouth, it does not have to be your story. Preventive dental care measures can help your teeth get stronger during and after pregnancy. They include the following:

1. Regular dental appointments – be consistent with visiting a dentist, the same way you don’t miss your clinical OBGYN visits.
2. Prioritize preventive dental care – if you think of them as measures to protect your child’s health, you are more likely to remember to care for your oral cavity.
3. Take care of your oral hygiene – the last thing you want is to need ​emergency dentistry services during pregnancy due to conditions like periodontitis, oral osteoporosis, or severe toothaches.
4. Limit sugary foods and drinks – find different substitute foods to satisfy your sweet tooth.
5. Brush at least twice daily with fluoride toothpaste.
6. Do not skip flossing.
7. Take prenatal vitamins containing calcium and vitamin D to overcome deficiencies.