The Added Risks Pregnancy Poses To Your Mouth

Pregnancy is a huge event in life for a woman and many changes can occur to a woman's body during the nine months she carries the child. One of the effects pregnancy can have on a woman's body is an increased risk of oral problems. If you just found out you are pregnant, you should learn about these added risks so that you can take good care of your mouth during this time.

The Changes in Hormones Can Cause Oral Issues

The first thing to understand is that pregnancy will change the hormones in your body, and one effect this can have involves swelling of gums. As your hormones change during this time, they can make your gums swell, and this can lead to gingivitis. During pregnancy, you should examine your gums often to look for signs of gingivitis or irritation. If you discover any problems, visit a dentist soon.

Oral Issues Occur from Morning Sickness

Secondly, a lot of women experience morning sickness during pregnancy, and this can involve throwing up in the morning. Anytime you throw up, you expose your teeth to high amounts of acid, and this acid will destroy the enamel from your teeth. If you have morning sickness during pregnancy, you will be at a much higher risk for developing cavities and other issues with your teeth. To compensate for this, you should always rinse your mouth out well after throwing up in the morning to help rinse off these acids.

You Should Visit a Dentist Frequently

The other important thing to know about this is that you can protect your teeth during pregnancy by taking good care of them and visiting your dentist frequently. Normally, you might visit a dentist only once during a nine-month period. With pregnancy, you should plan on visiting your dentist two, or even three, times during the entire nine months.

One of the top reasons you should take this seriously is your oral health can affect your baby's health. If you suffer from gum disease during your pregnancy, it could cause you to give birth to your baby pre-term, and it could also cause your baby to be born weighing less.

Taking care of your teeth is important during pregnancy and any other time too. If you need to visit a dentist and keep postponing it, call a dentist today to schedule a visit for a cleaning and examination. For more information, contact companies like Parklane Dental.

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