Your Gums and Your Pregnancy

Have you heard that you should avoid your dentist while you’re pregnant? Were you told that having dental work could hurt your baby? Do you ever wonder how accurate these claims are?

Technically, it can be dangerous to have dental work done while you are pregnant—if you are in the first trimester. However, did you know that it can be dangerous to leave your smile untreated while you’re pregnant? This is especially true if you have gum disease.

Sadly, gum disease can cause very serious problems for pregnant women. Typically, this is because of a change in hormones levels during pregnancy. Particularly, the hormone progesterone is elevated in pregnant women, which causes can lead to our gums becoming inflamed. This makes gingivitis (which is technically inflamed gums) extremely common in pregnant women.

Sadly, gum diseases like gingivitis can lead to a new variety of problems. If your gums are infected—which is a major component of gum disease—the infection can get into your bloodstream and spread throughout your body. If this happens, women with periodontal disease are more likely to have high blood pressure and preterm delivery.

Fortunately, your dentist can treat gum disease safely even while you’re pregnant. Still, preventing gum disease is always preferable to treating it. To prevent gum disease, please remember to brush your teeth properly and to floss daily. Similarly, please don’t neglect routine clearings while you’re pregnant. They are perfectly safe—in fact, your dentist may recommend cleanings more regularly than they normally would

If you are worried about something being wrong with your teeth, please contact your dentist immediately. If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to contact us soon. We’re excited to hear from you.