Keeping Mom and Baby Healthy: Oral Care During Pregnancy

Pregnancy comes with an endless list of things to plan for, and dental care can be easy to push to the bottom of it. But caring for your teeth and gums while you're pregnant is one of the more important things you can do for your own health during this time. For patients at our Middleburg, VA practice and around Loudoun County, here's what to expect and why it's worth staying on top of.

Pregnancy puts real strain on the body, and research has found an association between gum disease and a few pregnancy-related conditions, including gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and low birth weight. It's worth being clear about what this does and doesn't mean: these are documented associations, not proof that gum disease causes these outcomes, and large clinical trials haven't shown that treating gum disease during pregnancy reduces the risk of preterm birth or low birth weight. Evidence on preeclampsia specifically has been mixed. None of that changes the fact that keeping your gums healthy is worth doing for its own sake, and dental care throughout pregnancy is both safe and recommended.

Gums, Hormones, and Morning Sickness: Pregnancy's Effect on Oral Health

Pregnancy increases progesterone production, which boosts blood flow to body tissues, including the gums, and changes how gum tissue responds to the bacteria in plaque. The result is often more inflammation than usual, a condition called pregnancy gingivitis, which affects around 4 in 10 pregnancies. Symptoms include bad breath and gums that are swollen, red, sensitive, or prone to bleeding. Left untreated, pregnancy gingivitis can progress to more serious gum disease.

Morning sickness affects a large majority of pregnancies, and if you're dealing with it, you're also at higher risk for cavities, since stomach acid from vomiting can wear away tooth enamel.

Some women also develop what's sometimes called a pregnancy tumor, an overgrowth of gum tissue around or between the teeth. Despite the name, it's not cancerous, it's an inflammatory reaction to plaque or food particles, and it usually resolves on its own after delivery. It affects up to about 10% of pregnancies, most often alongside pregnancy gingivitis.

Extra Oral Health Care During Pregnancy

Your dentist may recommend an additional exam and cleaning during pregnancy to clear excess plaque and check for cavities, which can help manage pregnancy gingivitis and related issues. It's also worth brushing thoroughly after bouts of morning sickness and flossing more than once a day if you're noticing extra sensitivity or inflammation.

Pregnancy can be exciting and overwhelming in equal measure. Brushing and flossing consistently, and keeping up with your dental visits, are simple ways to take care of yourself during it. Self-care during pregnancy isn't just spa days, it's the basics too.

Expecting and due for a cleaning? Schedule a visit with Middleburg Smiles today.