Importance of Good Oral Health for Pregnant Women

Plenty of evidences suggest that good oral health is quite important during pregnancy. The recent study by Children’s Dental Health Project (CDHP) states that a pregnant woman with healthy teeth and gums can put the child on a path of having good oral health.

Now, it is quite unfortunate that most of the women do not realize the importance of oral health during pregnancy. During pregnancy, release of certain hormones triggers several body changes which weaken the immune system. Any dental complication during this process can get permanent because of the weakness of immune system.

Here, we are going to discuss a few dental health complications which can occur during pregnancy.

Pregnancy gingivitis

Gun inflammation during pregnancy is a common condition. This problem is mostly referred to as pregnancy gingivitis. The common symptoms associated with pregnancy gingivitis mainly include swelling, bleeding, tenderness and unusual redness in gums.

According to a stud, good health of gums is extremely important for the better health of your fetus. Advanced stages of gum disease during pregnancy can lead to low birth weight and premature birth.

Increased plaque buildup

As mentioned above, pregnancy involves a lot of hormonal changes. These changes can affect your oral health. For instance, there can be a lot of plaque buildup during pregnancy. Due to these hormonal changes, your body may not respond to the oral hygiene habits you had been continuing with in the normal days.

One thing that you are going to have to keep in mind here is that pregnancy itself doesn’t cause plaque. It’s actually your body’s weaker resistance which doesn’t put much of a fight against the plaque buildup process. if this plaque is left untreated, it can lead to pregnancy gingivitis which can turn into a serious oral health condition in longer run. And if you had gingivitis before becoming pregnant, this condition may worsen during pregnancy. This is the reason that you need to get dental care every now and then during pregnancy.

Tooth enamel erosion

The regular bouts of morning sickness during pregnancy can lead to enamel erosion. The reason is the increased amount of acidity in the mouth. You can neutralize this acidity with the help of water with baking soda mixed in it. However, you need to use this mouth rinse before you brush your teeth.

Oral health tips during pregnancy

During pregnancy, you need to make sure that you visit your dentist regularly. Regular dental visits can save you from many oral and dental health complications. At home, you are going to have to make sure that you are taking good care of your oral hygiene. You need to brush and floss your teeth regularly. You can ask your dentist about the right way of brushing and floss in order to specifically avoid the oral health problems which are related to pregnancy. Moreover, you need to stick to the use of an effective antimicrobial mouthwash. This mouthwash is going to help you avoid gingivitis. Finally, you have to make sure that you are eating healthy foods which are good not only for your teeth but also for your body. You need to get all of the support you can against oral and overall health complications.