By Caleb Parry, Javier Tapia, Alex Tran, and Michael Yoo

Expecting a child? Congratulations! All four of us are very excited for this new chapter in your life, so much so that we wanted to provide all mothers with dental care guidelines ! Here you will find various things all pregnant mothers should look out for and what you could do to prevent such things from happening! While some of these conditions may seem scary, proper care and regular visits to the dentist will help keep all new mothers and their children happy and healthy!

Things to watch out for when pregnant

Periodontal Disease and Pregnancy

One of the most common things seen in pregnant mothers is early stage gingivitis. Your body is going through a lot of hormonal changes and this could cause all sorts of transformations to your mouth. Gingivitis will look like red and puffy gums and could even progress to periodontal disease. The reason we want all mothers to watch out for periodontal disease is because scientific research has shown that this could lower the birth weight of your child or even cause preterm births. It is vital to schedule regular cleanings with your dentist and hygienist to ensure the healthy delivery of your child.

Cavities

We’re all familiar with cavities and you may have had a filling or two in our youth. However, did you know that your risk of cavities gets even higher with pregnancy? This is because as a mother’s body is getting ready for her baby, she may have different cravings and eating habits. Another reason mothers may be more prone to cavities is because there is a myth mothers that don’t need to go to the dentist while pregnant! Well, consider this myth busted. Your local dentist went through four years of advanced education to aid mothers throughout the entirety of their pregnancy. Schedule an appointment today to speak with your dentist about dental care and pregnancy.

It's okay! Here's what you can do!

Keep Your Smile healthy!

It is best to keep your teeth and gums as healthy as possible because what happens there will affect you and your baby. The best way to prevent a long list of complications with your pregnancy and dental care is to brush and floss twice a day. We know that this may seem pretty generic but taking out plaque and bacteria truly is the number one way to prevent periodontitis and cavities. Other things that we may recommend is drinking a lot of water, especially after meals, to wash away food that may have gotten caught in between your teeth. Water mixed with baking soda will especially be useful if you are suffering from morning sickness. The baking soda will neutralize any acid reflux caused by morning sickness. Lastly, snacking on protein rich foods like nuts and avoiding sugar rich foods like chips, cookies, and candy, will especially be helpful, since bacteria in your mouth love them too.

Fruits Instead of Sweets

As said before, sugar rich foods like chips, cookies, and candy should be avoided at all costs. Cavity causing bacteria love sugar and use it as their primary food source to grow into your teeth. Over time, this growth causes cavities that could lead to gingivitis, periodontitis, and even heart disease. Fruits, while still rich in sugar have better nutrients like antioxidants, fiber, and most importantly folate! Folate is a vitamin that has been proven to help the development of a babies nervous system. Fruits that are rich in avocado, grapefruit, and orange! But wait! it’s not just fruits that have folate, vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and legumes like chickpeas, lima beans, and lentils are great sources of folate as well.

Visit Your Dentist Today!

The last thing you want to hear is that you need an extraction while pregnant. While dental clinics are safe and designed to meet the needs of every single patient, invasive treatments like extractions should be avoided at all costs. To prevent this from ever happening, regular dental visits should be made to keep your smile healthy! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you should see your dentist if you haven’t within the past six months of being pregnant and once again right before your delivery. Health begins with your mouth and as dentists, we want to ensure that we could do everything possible to keep you and your newborn child healthy.