Pregnancy and Dental Care: Here’s What You Should Know

Pregnancy is a wonderful thing! You are about to experience a love that you never had before. However, there are so many changes that come with it. Pain, emotional roller-costars, and other symptoms that might not be that exciting are the order of the day. In the same breath, you might notice a change in your oral health.

Dental problems during pregnancy are pretty normal. The hormonal changes that usually happen during pregnancy will make you more susceptible to different oral health issues. But regularly visiting our dentist in Delta can be a huge step to getting excellent dental care.

Pregnancy dental care is an essential part of your routine prenatal care because it will help keep you and the baby healthy. So, what’s the right way of caring for your oral health during pregnancy? Read on to understand more about pregnancy dental care.

Does Pregnancy Make a Woman More Susceptible to Dental Issues?

Your body has to undergo a series of changes over the nine months to ensure that you and your baby come out fine. So, one of the significant changes that occur is the increased levels of hormones in the body, such as progesterone. Such changes inevitably increase the risk of you having oral health issues.

Your dental health and overall health are connected. So, changes in other parts of your body will affect your mouth and vice-versa. For instance, some studies have revealed that there is a link between periodontitis and low birth weight or premature birth.

Besides the increased hormone levels, other changes can affect your oral health, such as:

• Change in your eating habits, which can result in you taking certain foods that can affect your dental health
• Changes in how you brush and floss your teeth. You may clean your teeth less often than before because of being more tired than before, tender gums or flossing and brushing may cause nausea

What Are “Pregnancy Tumors” In the Mouth?

The changes that will occur in your body when you are pregnant happen very fast. While you are still trying to wrap your head around morning sickness, you have new food cravings; at the same time, constipation wants to drive you crazy.

However, there might be hidden or unexpected changes that might occur in your mouth – pregnancy tumors. The more technical term is pyogenic granulomas. Despite the frightening name, these tumors are not cancerous. They are hemorrhagic swellings or overgrowths that appear on the gums. You will notice them around the second trimester.

This problem is associated with excess plaque and mostly occurs between the teeth. They can be annoying since they interfere with chewing and can also lead to secondary infections. However, this doesn’t happen to every woman.

These overgrowths will vanish on their own after your baby is born. But if they are a bit of a problem for you, visit our dentist near you to get them removed.

Is It Normal to Have Bleeding Gums During Pregnancy?

Close to 75 percent of pregnant women have red, swollen, tender gums that easily bleed when they brush and floss their teeth. This is known as pregnancy gingivitis; this is the infant stage of gum disease.

The hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy are the main cause of gingivitis in pregnant women. Your gums become more sensitive, and bacteria present in plaque will have an easier time wreaking havoc.

Is It Safe to Have Dental Cleanings and Checkups During Pregnancy?

This is one of the major concerns for most moms-to-be. But, there is nothing to worry about. Preventive dental care, which includes cleanings and exams, is safe and recommended.

The rise in hormone levels may cause several issues that can be detrimental to your oral health and, at times, affect the baby’s health. Our dentist will carry out preventive work to ensure that oral infections and other issues are kept at bay.

Should I Postpone More Complicated Dental Work Until After I Have the Baby?

When you need dental work while pregnant, such as crowns or fillings, there’s no need to wait. This is because these procedures can reduce the chances of you having an infection. However, the best time for this work to be done is the second trimester. In the third trimester, your back might not allow you to lie back for extended periods.

But if it is emergency work, then it can be done. However, elective treatments such as cosmetic procedures should be done after you have had the baby.

There are dental care benefits if you choose to visit our dentist in Delta while you are pregnant. Therefore, contact us at Precision Dentistry if you have any questions or would love to schedule an appointment.