Pregnancy and Oral Health: Know how to Protect your Baby and Yourself

Pregnancy Gingivitis

Starting around the second month of pregnancy, the increase in the hormone progesterone, may encourage the growth of bacteria that cause gingivitis in the mouth.  The hormone helps the bacteria multiply and makes the gum tissue swell giving rise to symptoms such as, swollen gums, gum bleeding during brushing or bright red gums. It is important to maintain a good oral hygiene to stop these symptoms.

Enamel Erosion

Women may have morning sickness during pregnancy leading to vomiting. Tooth enamel wears when exposed to the stomach acids which leaves it soft. Brushing immediately after vomiting will lead to more wear and enamel loss. If you are experiencing morning sickness, don’t brush immediately after vomiting, instead, rinse your month with water first and brush 20-30 minutes later.

Dry Mouth

During pregnancy you may feel that your mouth is dry, drink plenty of water.  It will help rinse the bacteria growing in the mouth that would usually be washed away by saliva.

Lump on the Gum

Sometimes a large lump with a deep red color forms next to the gum tissue. It may bleed easily, be painful and can make eating and speaking difficult. These lumps are called “pregnancy tumors” and can occur at any time during the course of pregnancy, although they usually occur during the second trimester. It is important to make an appointment and have Dr. Kaufman examine the lump since it can be an abscess or other gum problems as well.

Gum infection and disease.

It is extremely important to maintain good oral hygiene during pregnancy. Gum disease is caused by bacteria that release toxins to attack the ligaments, gums, and bones surrounding your teeth. But these bacteria can gain access to your bloodstream which will enable them to travel throughout your body, even to cross the placenta. Once the bacteria that cause gingivitis can enter the bloodstream, they trigger the body to produce prostaglandins, which is a natural fatty acid that normally controls inflammation and smooth muscle contraction.  When a woman is pregnant, an increase in the level of prostaglandins leads her to go into labor.  It is possible that if extra prostaglandins are produced when the body is reacting to infected gums, a pregnant women’s body may think it is a signal to go into labor sooner than expected, thus causing a baby to be born too early or too small.  This is the reason that women with gum inflammation are at risk of a preterm delivery of babies with low birth weight.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our team if you have more questions about how to care for your mouth during pregnancy or to make an appointment to have the condition of your mouth examined.