Taking the best care possible of your body and smile during your pregnancy can help you have a healthy baby! Here’s how you can keep your smile healthy during your pregnancy.

Be Aware of Your Risk for Gum Disease

If you’re expecting a child, hormone changes in your body mean you’re at higher risk for gum disease. Fluctuating hormones can cause gum tissue to swell and cause symptoms of gum disease.

Since periodontal disease has been linked to both premature birth and low birth weight of babies, seeking treatment for gum disease during your pregnancy is important [1].

Symptoms of gum disease could include puffy or tender gum tissue, bleeding when brushing, and even sensitive teeth. Your dentist can help you receive safe and effective care for gum disease during your pregnancy!

Keep Up With Your Oral Care

Brushing twice a day and flossing once a day is still essential for your oral care when expecting a baby [2]. However, if you’re experiencing morning sickness, be careful not to brush your teeth immediately afterward. Your vomit contains harsh stomach acids that can weaken tooth enamel, increasing the likelihood that you would damage it when brushing.

Instead, rinse your mouth out thoroughly with water after vomiting and wait about one hour before brushing your teeth. You can chew sugarless gum if you need a breath freshener before brushing, and it may help protect your tooth enamel [3]!

Eat Healthy for You and Your Baby

Eating a well-balanced diet can help support your health as well as your developing baby’s. However, snacking and cravings are undeniable parts of pregnancy for many mothers.

While it’s important to stay nourished, there are things you can do to help prevent sugary or sticky foods from affecting your smile and weakening your tooth enamel during your pregnancy [4].

• Drink water. Drinking water when eating sugary foods or frequently indulging in snacks
  can help prevent harmful acids from damaging your teeth!
• Ensure you have all the nutrients you need. Pregnant women are eating for two, so
  they need extra nutrients to help nourish their body and their baby. Many women opt
  for additional supplements to ensure they have everything they need for a healthy baby.
• Don’t skip your dental visits. Your dentist can tell if something is off with your smile and recommend treatment as necessary. Getting a checkup at least once during your pregnancy—and ideally before and after as well—can help you avoid gum disease and other common issues that can threaten the health of your growing little one.

Keeping your smile healthy is advantageous to both you and your baby during your pregnancy. Always keep up with your oral care at home and schedule a checkup with your dentist if you’re expecting or planning to get pregnant!

Sources:
1. https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/dental-health-during-pregnancy.aspx#
2. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/pregnancy/healthy-habits
3. https://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/chewing-gum
4. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/prenatal/Pages/Brushing-for-

The post How to Keep Your Smile Healthy During Your Pregnancy appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

While most people keep an eye out for typical pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue or a missed period, your teeth and gums might be more telling than you think. Is teeth and gum sensitivity a symptom of pregnancy? The answer might surprise you!

Hormones Can Alter Your Level of Teeth and Gum Sensitivity

Hormones are powerful messengers in the body, and yes, they can make your teeth and gums more sensitive! Some mothers-to-be go through periods of teeth and gum sensitivity, while others may have it consistently throughout their pregnancy.

In fact, hormones can even alter the way your body responds to a potential infection, such as the infection that can come with gum disease. These changes can cause sensitive teeth and gums, which should always be checked out by a dentist to protect you and your little one!

Increased Circulation Can Cause Swollen Gums

Most women will experience an increase in blood circulation during pregnancy in order to provide the developing fetus with nutrients during this essential time. However, this increased blood flow can cause your gum tissue to swell and become sensitive as well.

You may find that brushing your teeth is painful, or, you may have sensitivity to hot and cold foods where you didn’t have sensitivity before. However, swollen gums can also be a symptom of gum disease, so if this symptom persists, don’t hesitate to follow up with your dentist.

Many Expecting Mothers Are Prone to Gum Disease

Pregnant women are more susceptible to gum disease due to their fluctuating hormones. If you’re vomiting as a result of the morning sickness that the majority of new mothers experience, your teeth can be negatively impacted by your pregnancy.

If you’re seeing symptoms of gum disease, such as swollen, red gums, bad breath, or increased tooth sensitivity, don’t just blame it on your pregnancy. Gum disease in women has been linked to premature birth and low birth weight, so getting this infection treated is not only important to your health, but to your baby’s health as well.

Getting treatment for gum disease during pregnancy is safe, so schedule an appointment with your dentist if you’re having symptoms to ensure you have a safe, healthy pregnancy.

Are you concerned you might be pregnant? It’s true that changes in your oral cavity—including increased teeth and gum sensitivity—can be a symptom of pregnancy. Don’t wait to schedule an appointment with your dentist during your pregnancy to get your smile checked out. You’ll enjoy your pregnancy even more with a healthy smile!

The post Is Teeth and Gum Sensitivity a Symptom of Pregnancy? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Tooth sensitivity happens as a result of enamel damage, therefore exposing the softer tissues of the tooth. These in turn carry the food’s temperature to the inside of your tooth. How does this happen? Here’s everything you need to know about sensitive teeth and tooth nerve pain.

It’s All about the Dentin

Sensitive teeth occur because the dentin—a softer layer of tissue below your enamel—is exposed. This means your enamel has been worn away in that area, leaving the dentin to be exposed to foods, drinks, and air that enters your mouth.

Dentin is an important element of our teeth. It contains tiny channels that carry the temperature of the tooth to the nerves that lay inside the tooth. These nerves are also known as the tooth’s pulp. Normally the dentin would not be exposed—so it wouldn’t carry the temperature to your tooth pulp. However, once it is exposed, you can’t just turn off the microscopic tubes that carry temperature to your inner tooth. Dentin is the link that connects your tooth sensitivity to temperature to the nerve inside the tooth, which in turn triggers pain.

How Roots Become Exposed

There are a number of ways that your tooth’s dentin and roots become exposed. Often, people who have sensitive teeth experience a combination of factors that lead to their tooth pain. Your tooth’s root is protected by enamel, but can become exposed when enamel gets worn away. Enamel is the hardest substance in the body, but unfortunately, the body does not replace it once it’s gone. Enamel erosion can happen from:

 Cavities

 Loose fillings

 Hard brushing

 Abuse of over-the- counter tooth whitening products

 Brushing your teeth too aggressively

 Bruxism (teeth grinding)

 Gum disease

These are just a few of the items that can damage your enamel. You could also have a fractured tooth or gum recession, which can expose dentin and tooth roots.

What Can You Do?

Simply switching to a toothbrush with softer bristles and desensitizing toothpaste can help many people control their tooth sensitivity and avoid further enamel erosion. If you have severe tooth sensitivity, you may need additional treatment to help manage your pain. This includes getting treatment for bruxism if you grind your teeth, or you may have a cavity that needs to get filled, or a fractured tooth that needs repairing. Your treatment will be unique based on what’s causing your tooth sensitivity. Your dentist can help you discover what the problem is and how to treat it.

Don’t live with tooth nerve pain! Although replacing enamel is impossible, your problem may be gum recession or a simple cavity that can be fixed. Seeing your dentist can help address your tooth pain and find out where it’s coming from. Remember to always protect your enamel with gentle brushing, avoiding acidic foods like sugar, and visiting your dentist!

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