The Surprising Connection between Pregnancy and Dental Health

Quite a while back, I wrote a post reminiscing about the symptoms of pregnancy. In that article I mentioned how thankful I was that my teeth had been fine. But, a friend of mine lost two teeth with each of her pregnancies. The other day I came across the dental implants page on the Weybridge Dental website. For some reason, that triggered a memory of my friend’s dental woes, during her pregnancies. It got me wondering why pregnant women are prone to losing teeth and looking at how to fix the issue.

Why pregnant women are prone to tooth decay

First, the why – I think you have already guessed the reason pregnant women are more prone to tooth decay than other people. Yes, it is all to do with the huge shift in the mix of hormones that are coursing through your body during pregnancy.

An increased risk of gum disease in pregnant women

When you are pregnant, your levels of progesterone tend to increase. This can stimulate the production of prostaglandins. That in turn leads to the inflammation of blood vessels in certain areas, including your gums. The net result is that your gums swell and can start to bleed. When that happens, your teeth can become loose and even fall out.

That is why it is important to continue to attend the dentist while pregnant. When you see your dentist, be sure to let him or her know about your pregnancy. This will help your dentist to spot the early signs of any issues and better understand how to treat you so that long-term damage does not occur. Be sure to also look for a reputable dentist. For instance, consider this general dentistry north massapequa clinic for the best services.

How morning sickness can affect dental health

However, there is another potential culprit and that is morning sickness. Unsurprisingly, the acids in vomit have a terrible effect on your teeth. It literally eats away at the enamel. Fortunately, I only suffered from sickness for the first few months of my pregnancies. Some women are sick during their entire pregnancy. For them, the chances of damaging their teeth are heightened.

If you are sick, it is best to clean your teeth straight afterward. Doing so will greatly reduce the amount of damaging acid that is in your mouth. If you cannot actually brush your teeth, swill your mouth out with water. This has a similar effect and is less likely to make you feel that you need to vomit again.

How to find out more

If you want to find out more about why pregnant women can lose some teeth during pregnancy you can easily do so online. The best medical sites contain a lot of good advice about how to reduce the chances of suffering from dental problems, while pregnant.

It is also worth talking to your dentist about the subject next time you visit. If you are planning to get pregnant in the near future consider bringing any dental work you need to have done forward. Doing this will ensure that your teeth are in a strong, healthy and stable state before you get pregnant and they are put under additional strain.