Dental care during pregnancy

Congratulations on the big news.

Being pregnant introduces many changes to your body and your oral health is no exception to this rule. We also understand that pregnancy might bring changes to your daily habits. Look at it as an opportunity to take better care of your health.

In addition to your routine visits to your general physician, you need to carry on with your regular cleaning and checkup visits to your dentist office. You have to let the dentist know about the stage of your pregnancy and what kind of pregnancy-associated conditions that you might have. The dentist will then be better informed on what kind of dental treatment might be done and what might be postponed.

Changes to your oral health

Bleeding gums is one of the symptoms that might be experienced by about %50 of women during pregnancy. This is due to developing pregnancy gingivitis which is a hormone imbalance that causes tenderness to the gums that lead to irritation and bleeding. In addition to your regular brushing and flossing, your dentist might recommend additional teeth cleaning to minimize the gingivitis effect.

Loose teeth are something pregnant women might feel. This is caused by progesterone and estrogen. While this should be gone by the end of pregnancy, it would be a good idea to mention this to your dentist on your next visit.

What habits you should start doing or continue to do while being pregnant?

Brushing: You should brush your teeth twice a day. Use a Fluoride-based toothpaste. If brushing causes a feeling of choking, then take it easy and rinse your mouth before continue brushing
Flossing: You should continue flossing after every meal
Diet: It is important that your food intake be balanced
Dental Checkups: Don’t ignore your routine dental visits for cleaning and checkups