It’s not a newsflash; we all know that pregnancy prompts monumental changes to your body.
However, on the most part at least, many of us are fooled into thinking that this is only in relation to our bump. As it turns out, there are a whole host of other changes that our body goes through and as today’s title may have already told you, we are now going to focus on the dental-factor.
For some of you, this might not come as a surprise. After all, some countries even provide free dental care during a woman’s pregnancy due to various complications that can occur. Nevertheless, let’s now jump into three areas that you need to keep an eye out during those elusive nine months, and even a little bit beyond this.
Risk #1 – Your habits go out of the window
This first issue isn’t necessarily a direct risk, but it’s something that can affect a lot of people so make sure you are prepared.
In short, habits that we have built up for years can go out of the window during pregnancy. This is for the simple reason that sleep comes at a real premium; it’s no longer something that you can take for granted.
In relation to your bedtime routine, this is where you need to be careful. Remember the days when you used to brush each and every night? Make sure this is still the case. You might be tired, but falling behind on brushing and flossing can result in plaque building up overnight – and the rest is history (probably involving porcelain veneers).
Risk #2 – The perils of morning sickness
It’s never a pleasant subject, but there can be more to morning sickness than the initial symptoms suggest.
As you may have guessed by now, one of these side effects comes with your teeth. In truth, it’s no different to a standard sickness bug, with the main issue being that for some women morning sickness is exceptionally common.
It’s something that prompts stomach acid to make its way into your mouth and over time, this is something that is going to weaken the enamel on your tooth. The result? You are much more likely to develop cavities in the future.
Risk #3 – The hormones
Something else we have come to understand over the years is that pregnancy causes all sorts of changes to our hormones. While we’re not going to get into the ins and outs of just what hormones affect the teeth, all you need to know is that some can directly impact the gums. Over time, conditions such as pregnancy gingivitis can occur, which basically involves your gums becoming inflamed.
Unfortunately, the effects don’t just stop there and if you don’t treat this condition, it can lead onto even more serious ones such as periodontitis. This is something that can even cause bone loss, and one of the reasons the authorities are so keen on women taking regular trips to the dentist during their pregnancy.
