Dental Care for an Expecting Mother

Dental Care for an Expecting Mother

The discovery of a new pregnancy is a beautiful blessing that brings the expecting parents much joy and excitement. Taking the right steps to ensure a healthy pregnancy is important and becomes every woman’s focus over the course of the next nine months. Continuous prenatal care along with a healthy diet and exercise plan, help your body acclimate to the many changes you are experiencing. We would like to share a few tips focusing on dental care for an expecting mother.

The changes in a woman’s body during pregnancy also have an impact on her state of oral health. Proper dental care is extremely important due to the fact that dental problems can increase the risk of complications. Pregnancy and your changing body can sometimes lead to dental conditions that you normally wouldn’t be prone to experiencing. Keeping informed about dental health problems due to pregnancy will help with your overall health throughout the nine months and further into your recovery period afterwards.

Common Concerns that Affect Dental Care for an Expecting Mother Include:

• Swollen Gums – Pregnancy Gingivitis affects about 50% of pregnant women. Your gums may become tender, swollen and cause some bleeding.
• Vomiting – Gastric reflux associated with morning sickness can coat your teeth with strong stomach acids that can damage tooth enamel and cause tooth decay.
• Food Cravings – Sometimes those cravings can be harmful on your teeth. Cravings for acidic foods, such as pickles or sugary foods such as ice cream, can erode enamel and lead to tooth decay.
• Hormonal Changes – Fluctuations in hormone levels can increase the blood flow to the gums, which can increase plaque bacteria, cause gum disease and promote tooth decay.

Along with your regular gynecology appointments, make sure to schedule your regular dental checkups to ensure overall health throughout your entire pregnancy experience.

Schedule a preventative appointment with us at South Tampa Smiles at (813) 289 – 0560.
Happy Motherhood!

For further Reading on dental health for an expecting mother, visit BetterHealth.