There are many myths and facts about pregnancy and dental health. You will have a lot of stuff to think about during pregnancy. Dental health is very important during the pregnancy period and should not be easily taken. The below written facts are true and will help you to have an idea and improve your oral health during your pregnancy days.
- Nutrition: very important before and especially during the pregnancy because baby gets it’s vital energy, proteins and essentials from the mother’s body. By having a correct diet planned, you can begin concentrating for your little one’s teeth, once you have found out that you are carrying.
It is recommended to include foods with vitamin D, minerals, iron and a lot of calcium in your diet. Consult with your doctor/dietician for information to help you plan a healthy diet plan during the pregnancy.
- Most women around the world have oral health issues during pregnancy. Impact of Hormone changes gives a condition where your gums get swollen, sore and finally starts bleeding.
This is prevented by regularly flossing, cleaning and brushing your teeth daily.
- In some rare cases carrying women gets a condition of “pregnancy tumor”. This condition is a pain-less bump on the gums that can be pink, purple or red. It is usually not serious and doesn’t cause any problems, but precaution should be taken and the gums should be kept clean. Consult your dentist if you are having this problem.
- Bad oral Health is also caused by snacking often and not cleaning mouth. It is important to clean the teeth and the mouth in general after a snack as the acidity level in the tooth will fall and the chances of cavity and decaying is more so to avoid such health risks it is always advised to wash your mouth after a snack.
- It is important to have a dental specialist and dentist during the pregnancy to prevent oral problems. Be sure to have a dentist and dental appointments until your baby is born.
- For urgent oral care during the pregnancy, you might need X-rays taken of your mouth and oral areas. Remind your dentist or oral care professional about your pregnancy. During pregnancy avoid nitrous oxide, some antibiotics and any kind of pain killers. Please give the dentist the contact details of your obstetrician.
Even though oral health during the pregnancy period isn't a glamorous subject, it's an important one. Myths and misinformation about oral care during the carrying period are common and usually these issues should be discussed and myths corrected.
Following are some of the oral/dental health problems during the pregnancy period:
Decay of Tooth
During the pregnancy period, increase of acidity in the tooth increases the chance of tooth decay.
Ideally, there should be a scheduled dental check up regularly before the final stages of pregnancy to treat any serious dental problems. Schedule an appointment or visit your dentist on a constant basis during the whole pregnancy period, incase if you have a serious dental problem. If you have any concerns or doubts about dental care during pregnancy, consult with your dentist or check with your dental care specialist.
Pregnancy Gingivitis
"Pregnancy gingivitis" starts as from the second month. “Pregnancy gingivitis" tends to maximize around the 8th month and then slows off after the baby is born.
During pregnancy, the hormonal level especially progesterone in the female body can be 10 times more than a normal person. This enhances the growth of bacteria’s in the mouth that cause various kind of gingivitis. The immune system of the carrying women works differently during the pregnancy.
Oral Health During Pregnancy
To reduce the harmful scenarios of pregnancy gingivitis, practice good oral hygiene: Brush at least twice a day, for 2 minutes. Use an antimicrobial or dentist recommended mouth rinse to help you with your dental health. Most dentists suggest using mouth rinses that doesn't contain any alcohol or chemical contents, it is not established whether alcohol presence in rinses have a harmful effect on pregnancy.
Be sure to check with your dentist for the health of your tooth while you are pregnant. Pregnancy gingivitis can be cleared with cleaning. Treatments like the periodontal surgery should be delayed until child birth.