Taking Care of Your Smile During Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be both exciting and terrifying. With your body undergoing so many changes on so many levels, not to mention the human that’s growing inside you, there’s enough for you to be worrying about. Put one more worry to rest by learning about how pregnancy affects your smile.

Your Smile During Pregnancy

Expect your oral health to undergo some change during your pregnancy. Changing hormone levels will certainly have an affect on many aspects of your health. Your gums will tend to bleed easier, increasing your chance of developing gingivitis or gum disease. Gingivitis caused by pregnancy even has its own special name: pregnancy gingivitis. Morning sickness will expose the surfaces of your teeth to the highly acidic contents of your stomach, which contributes to tooth decay and the breakdown of enamel.

Steps to Take

While this might sound sobering, there are steps you can take to slow or prevent these changes from happening. If you’ve been slacking off on brushing or flossing, now is the time to redevelop those healthy habits. Ensure that you’re flossing daily to fight gum inflammation. Brush using a fluoridated toothpaste and a toothbrush with soft bristles to avoid agitating tender gum lines. After experiencing morning sickness, rinse your mouth with a swish of water to wash away any acidic residues left behind. Check in with your diet while pregnant. This is important not only for your oral health, but your general health and the health of your baby. Make sure that you’re getting enough calcium to help revitalize lost mineral deposits on your teeth, and pick healthy snacks over sugary ones. Finally, schedule a checkup with your dentist sometime in the first trimester. Work with your dentist to find out that you can do to best take care of your smile.

A Healthy Smile Makes for a Healthy Baby

A healthy smile makes more than just you happy! Strong oral health during pregnancy has been linked to an increase in the health of your baby. Moreover, it decreases your chance of having a preterm baby, and also can help decrease your chance of developing other pregnancy complications, such as high blood pressure.

Taking care of your smile can be challenging while pregnant, but your teeth and the newest member of the family will thank you for it in the long run. Centennial Smiles Dental is here to help you through this exciting time! Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (587) 317-7959 with any questions you might have.