A woman's gum tissue changes during pregnancy. First-time mothers tell us, "I knew my body was going through major changes, but I didn't realize my mouth was too!" During pregnancy, a surge of hormones (mainly estrogen) creates an increase in the plaque build-up on the teeth. The tissue in the lining of the uterus is almost identical to the tissue in the mouth. When one changes, so does the other. If the pregnancy plaque isn't removed, it may cause a gum condition called "pregnancy gingivitis."
The more infected your gums and teeth become, the greater the chances are that bacteria will travel through bloodstream to your fetus. This causes an immune response that damages the tissues in the placenta and sometimes prompts premature labor and/or a lower birth-weight baby.
So, be sure and visit us early in your pregnancy for a cleaning and gum tissue evaluation. Contact our office for a convenient appointment.
During my first pregnancy I brushed and flossed as usual but my gums did bleed more and at my hygiene appointments I had pockets and numerous bleeding points, something I never had before. In my second pregnancy I started using a sonicare and flossing twice a day. My gums rarely bled and my hygiene appointments were back to normal. This information is very important. There are so many things that caregivers don't tell pregnant moms and this is one of them. Here are a few others:
ReplyDeleteGet a sonicare and floss twice a day
Eliminate dairy as much as possible, especially milk
Get as much info on breast feeding, better yet go see it done by another breast feeding mom.