When you’re pregnant there are a lot of things to do, but is ‘taking care of my gums’ on that list? It should be, gum disease in pregnant women has been linked to premature birth. What’s worse, almost 40% of pregnant women will develop gum disease during their pregnancy; that’s a lot. With that in mind, it’s easy to see that taking proper care of your gums is an important thing for every pregnant woman.
What is Gum Disease and Why Is It Dangerous?
Gum disease, also known as gingivitis, is a bacterial infection of your gums. The typical symptoms include red, swollen, or bleeding 🩸 gums, but left untreated can lead to more extreme issues like a receding gum line or tooth 🦷 loss.
For pregnant women 🤰🏼, another risk is that gum disease can cause premature birth. When left untreated, the bacteria 🦠 that causes the infection can spread to your bloodstream. From there it can travel to your placenta and uterus and cause the aforementioned issue. That’s why it’s so important for pregnant women to take preventative measures to prevent the disease, and treatment to eliminate it if diagnosed.
3 Tips To Beat Gum Disease
With the issues clear, let’s look at 3 easy ways you can start fighting gum disease today.
- Proper At Home Care
The first step to beating gum disease is to make sure your home routine is kept up. This means brushing 🪥 twice per day; We’ve collected the best brush for you: Ultra Soft Toothbrush! Find them in our 1st Trimester Box 📦 or get it from our individual collection. After brushing your teeth the next step is flossing and using an antimicrobial mouthwash twice per day. This helps keep the bacteria in your mouth from taking hold and causing problems.
You also want to try and limit the amount of sugar you take in. Things like candy 🍬 , pop 🍭 , and juice 🥤 all contain lots of sugar, which is killer on your teeth 🦷 . Sugar in your mouth helps bacteria 🦠 grow, so the less you take in the better. Moderation is key here, you don’t have to cut out all sugar, but make sure to do your best to limit it. - Dental visits
You also want to make sure that you’re keeping up with your dental 🦷 visits. Even with proper care, it’s still possible to develop gum disease due to changes in hormones during pregnancy 🤰🏼. Without dentist 👩🏼⚕️ intervention you might not even know you have the disease 🦠 .
Dentists also provide a much deeper clean than brushing 🪥 alone. This preventative step is important to oral health, and helps prevent issues before they start. Going to the dentist provides that just clean feeling while also providing an extra layer of protection for your teeth 🦷 and gums. -
Seeking treatment
It’s also important to know that seeking treatment during your pregnancy is perfectly okay. While many doctors 🥼 will recommend dental 🦷 work be done during the second trimester, talk to your dentist to get their recommendation on when to get work done. Some procedures are perfectly okay to have done in both the first and third trimesters.
It’s also important not to delay if you’re having dental issues. These types of things only get worse with time, so dealing with them right away is key. This gives them less time to worsen, which makes the risk of complications less as well.
Oral Health And Your Pregnancy
Oral care during your pregnancy is important, and with a proper routine is not difficult. Keeping up with all the normal things you do day to day, and keeping your dental appointments is a big part of it. This may seem difficult during the hectic days of pregnancy 🤰🏼, but it’s more than worth it. You can do it Mama! 💪🏻
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OFM Group