MEDICAL INSIDER
DR. RHODA ENTERO
Dental Care During Pregnancy
Part 1
Have you heard about the saying “Gain a child, lose a tooth”?
This is one of the strange statements our ancestors have
passed on to us as they tried to make sense about
occurrences that they did not fully understand.
This simply means that pregnant women will often lose a
tooth for every child that they will have. But how true can this
be?
Science proves that this folktale is somehow real. The reason
for the tooth loss is that pregnancy prevents calcium
absorption and negatively affects a pregnant woman’s bone
density.
Pregnancy hormones also often lead to bad oral health. This
is supported by a study conducted on March 13, 2018
entitled “Women with 2 kids had an average of 4 fewer teeth
than moms with 2 children”, which showed how having an
additional child could be detrimental to a mother’s oral health.
The common causes of dental health problems during
pregnancy are gum problems, vomiting, cravings for sugary
foods, and retching while brushing teeth.
But pregnant women don’t need to resign themselves to
losing teeth: Dental problems can actually be prevented if
expectant mothers will observe good oral hygiene, ensure
tooth friendly nutrition, and have regular visits to their dentist.
Pregnant women have unique dental issues. Pregnancy
causes hormonal changes to a woman’s body that cause
gums to swell as well as bleed.
These may lead to gingivitis and, eventually, periodontitis.
Gingivitis is the inflammation of gums caused by
accumulated bacteria on the teeth, while periodontitis is a
gum infection that damages the soft tissue and bone
supporting the tooth, resulting to a progressive lost of the
alveolar bone around the teeth.
Pregnant women are exposed to these conditions particularly
during the second trimester. About 50 to 70% of women
suffer from gingivitis during their pregnancy because too
often, with everything else that is going on both within their
bodies and outside them, pregnant women overlook their oral
health.
If you have cavities or gum disease during your pregnancy,
it’s important to ensure good oral routine and set regular
appointments with your dentist.
Keep in mind that your oral health affects not only your body
but the health of your baby as well. Your baby’s health starts
with you. (To be continued)