What To Expect With Your Gums When You’re Expecting

A lot of changes happen to the body during pregnancy—including changes to your mouth and oral health. You may begin to notice more bleeding and tenderness than normal. This is due to hormonal changes and a decrease in your immune system.

When you are pregnant, your at-home oral hygiene efforts are even more important to help decrease bacterial plaque in your mouth. During pregnancy, you are more susceptible to bacteria and can develop pregnancy-induced gingivitis or periodontal (gum) disease. Therefore, it is very important to brush two times per day and floss daily, even doing extra if you can. Waterpik^® water flossers and a daily rinse with Listerine^® mouthwash can also be very helpful.

In addition, it is extremely important to have healthy gums while you’re pregnant and while you’re trying to get pregnant. Your oral health can closely impact your overall health via the mouth-body connection, and research has shown that there is a link between active periodontal disease and low birth-weight babies. Bacteria from bleeding gums can enter into the bloodstream, which can put the baby and your overall health at risk. Periodontal disease has also been linked to many systemic inflammatory diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, some cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, and others. Therefore, keeping your mouth as healthy as possible is extremely important for your overall health and for your new bundle of joy on the way.

If you would like more information, please contact us today!