When women are pregnant, their hormone levels grow so high that their capillaries thin a little, which often causes easy bruising and sudden nose bleeds. Many women believe that this hormone increase is also responsible for thinning out their teeth enamel, therefore reducing the quality of their dental health.
There typically is a proportional increase between dental health and pregnancy, but it has nothing to do with the density of teeth enamel. Poor dental health during pregnancy is actually caused by the diet of pregnant women and nausea. Most pregnant women eat whatever they want, often including an overabundance of sweet cravings. It’s never okay to eat as much sweets as pregnant women often do, but don’t try to take that cake away from them either. To prevent the extra tooth decay that the extraneous sweets cause, pregnant women should brush their teeth three times a day instead of two and floss at least once a day.
Vomiting during pregnancy will also erode the teeth. The stomach has an incredibly strong acid, so it should come as no surprise that women who vomit throughout their pregnancy have greatly damaged teeth. Even if you aren’t pregnant, you should always brush your teeth and rinse out your mouth with mouthwash after each time you vomit. It will prevent acid corrosion and freshen your breath.
Now it is true that pregnant women have a higher risk for gingivitis. As previously mentioned, the increased hormone levels cause the capillaries to thin, so their gums will bleed more often while brushing and flossing than any other time. This can open up more areas for the bacteria to invade and grow, but as strange as it sounds, the only way to beat them and prevent gum disease is by brushing and flossing. The more you brush and floss, the more bacteria you kill. Preventing gingivitis is quite possibly the most important dental issue for pregnancy because periodontal disease can actually harm the fetus and potentially trigger premature birth.
As always, if you are pregnant and have dental concerns, talk to your dentist or call our office. We’re always happy to help you with your dental needs!