Dentistry

Dental care is a crucial part of your overall health and wellbeing. It is also an essential facet of your prenatal care. Pregnancy optimises the likelihood of certain types of dental health issues that could potentially lead to further complications throughout your pregnancy. Go to your standard dental checkups throughout pregnancy. inform your dentist that you are pregnant and moving forward if you’re concerned about your dental health, see your dentist as soon as you can.

With this in mind, in this blog, we will outline some essential information about your dental care through your pregnancy.

What is dental health and how does it affect pregnancy?

Dental health, which concerns the health of your mouth, teeth and gums and is an important part of your overall health and wellbeing. Being pregnant increases your risk of oral health issues, and these problems can impact your pregnancy. For example, some studies indicate a link between gum disease and premature birth. Premature birth is when you give birth earlier than intended or much too early, prior to 37 weeks of pregnancy. Premature babies can have more health issues at birth and later in life than babies birthed full-term. Taking care of your mouth, teeth and gums during pregnancy can aid you to have a healthy pregnancy and having a healthy baby.

How does pregnancy impact your dental health?

Constant changes in your body that alter throughout pregnancy can impact your teeth and gums. Moreover, you have increased levels of specific hormones, such as progesterone and estrogen, in your body throughout pregnancy. These can increase your risk for various oral health issues. As well as this, your eating habits may change. Chances are you might want to eat more of certain foods through your pregnancy than you did prior to you being pregnant.

You may also brush and floss your teeth a bit less than you did before you were pregnant. This may be caused by your gums being tender or you being more tired than usual. For some women, brushing and flossing may cause a significant feeling of nausea and have you feeling sick to your stomach.
Signs and symptoms of further dental problems through pregnancy include:

● Unpleasant breath
● Loss of teeth
● Mouth sores or lumps around the gums
● New spaces in between your teeth
● Receding gums (when your gums pull away from your teeth so you can see roots of your teeth) or pus along your gum line (where your gums meet your teeth)
● Gums that are red, sore, tender or shiny or gums that bleed easily
● Toothache or other aches or pain
● If you have pain or swelling, call your dentist as soon as possible. If you have an infection, you’ll need quick treatment to help deter problems for your baby.

Here at Smile More Solihull, we understand that pregnancy is a thrilling time for lots of women but also a time to focus on your health. Your oral health is a crucial aspect of your well-being that shouldn’t be overlooked.The dentists at Smile More Solihull advise that you come to the clinic for a thorough check-up so we can help make sure that you have a healthy pregnancy. Get in touch today to book your appointment. We will be on hand to offer professional advice and answer any queries.