Expect Some Dental Issues When You Are Expecting

As you prepare to bring a new life into the world, being aware of what can happen to your dental health is important. Read below to find out more.

Contact Your Dentist

You should stick to your usual dental care routine but let your dental office know about your pregnancy. In most cases, you can still have your normal dental hygiene cleanings performed as usual and you can also have any needed X-rays taken. However, if you are worried about this issue, your dentist will understand your concerns and put the imaging off for a few months until after the birth. What should definitely be reconsidered is the need for major dental work that might require using general anesthesia. Talk to your dentist about what can be postponed and what short-term solutions can be done in the meantime when it comes to procedures like root canals. As for fillings, you are safe to have numbing shots (lidocaine) during pregnancy, and eliminating the cavity risk is important during pregnancy. As far as dental issues caused by pregnancy, there are a couple to know about.

Can Pregnancy Make You Lose Your Teeth?

This myth persists despite a lot of evidence to the contrary. There is no reason to fear that your teeth will crumble or fall out just because you are pregnant. That being said, pregnancy affects your entire body and that includes your mouth and teeth. Though not all pregnant women will encounter the below issues, it's worth knowing about them.

• Hormonal changes – While no hormone is capable of making you more likely to have dental problems, you might want to consider how dental problems can affect your hormones. Gum diseases like gingivitis can, at times, create a rise in the hormone progesterone. This important hormone is the one largely responsible for the start of labor and a rise could increase your chances for pre-term labor to begin. Deal with your gum issues quickly to prevent even the slightest chance of early labor problems.
• Morning sickness – While pregnancy itself cannot damage your teeth, stomach acid can. The only way to prevent the damage caused by morning sickness is to visit your dentist more often if you have it. They can watch for small issues and take care of things before they progress to broken teeth. They should also be able to provide you with good tips to counteract the increased acid exposure your teeth are experiencing.

Speak to your dentist to find out more.