How To Keep Your Mouth Healthy During Pregnancy
Posted on: 2 July 2019
If you are pregnant for the first time, you might not realize that pregnancy can take a hard toll on your mouth and oral health. This is important to know so that you can take the right steps to keep your mouth as healthy as possible, and here are several things you can do that will help you with your oral health.
Understand the effects of pregnancy on your oral health
Before you can understand how to provide the proper care for your mouth, it is important to understand how and why pregnancy affects your mouth and oral health. The main way pregnancy affects the mouth is from the excess of hormones the body produces during pregnancy. During a typical pregnancy, a woman's hormone levels will be very different than they are when she is not pregnant. This change in hormones increases the risk of infections forming in the mouth, and that is the main reason oral health issues are very common during pregnancy.
Tips to keep your mouth healthy
If you are not yet pregnant, you should visit a dentist to find out if you need work done. If so, get the work done before you get pregnant. If you are already pregnant, you might want to visit a dentist right away to get any work done that is needed. Completing needed work right away is one of the best things you can do for your mouth to keep it healthy during pregnancy, as small problems will spread and grow and could develop into bigger problems, and this is especially true during pregnancy.
When you are pregnant, it is also very important to take time to brush and floss your teeth thoroughly each day. This habit reduces the bacteria and plaque in your mouth and will keep your risks for developing gum disease lower. Secondly, you should use caution with what you eat, as the foods you eat can either contribute or stop gum disease from forming. Finally, you should continue visiting your dentist throughout your pregnancy in order to have your teeth cleaned and examined. Regular visits can help reduce the risks of developing gum disease and other problems while you are pregnant with your child.
You can keep your mouth, gums, and teeth healthy during pregnancy, but it might take a little extra work. To learn more about oral health concerns and tips during pregnancy, talk to a dentist like Family & Cosmetic Dentistry.
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