As any pregnant lady will tell you, pregnancy certainly does take its toll on your body. Few girls realize just how tough it can be, till they find themselves pregnant. Sure, you hear about morning illness, heartburn, and fatigue, but are you know that you are at more risk for dental problems during pregnancy, particularly gum disease? Of course, it is all blamed on hormones, which may be the case, but if you haven't always sorted your teeth or seen the dentist as you should, you definitely wish to rectify that before you get pregnant if you can, or take extra care to see the dentist and care for your teeth during your pregnancy. Gum disease if not treated could cause all types of problems, and even cause you to lose your teeth, so it isn't something to take for granted.



Basically, there are times in your life when you'll be at an increased risk for developing gum illness, and pregnancy is an example of those times, but in the end, it all boils down to dental care. If you permit plaque and bacteria to sit in your mouth, on your teeth, and between your gums, then you will likely at some point finish up with gum disease. To stop gum illness, brush your pearly whites properly at least two times a day, floss, and see your dentist regularly, particularly during pregnancy, when you are at an increased risk.

There is another excuse that you should make sure you care for your teeth and gums during pregnancy, one that might be enough to push you to do it, whether or not the thought of losing your teeth wasn't enough to do it. Some researches have proven a link between gum illness and poor dental cleanliness with early work and extremely low birth- weights. Meaning, that if you don't care for your dental health as well as your physical health both before and during pregnancy, you could be putting your unborn child's health at risk! Is it actually worth it? It'll only take some additional mins a day to actually care for your teeth as you must, and maybe an hour or so every 6 months to see the dentist, is that too much to ask of you Mom?

When you decide you are prepared to have a family, or find out that you are pregnant, after you schedule your OB appointment, you should immediately schedule a dental appointment too. Ensure that you alert your dentist to the fact that you are pregnant or attempting to get pregnant, and how far along you are. Your dentist will also need to know what medications that you may be taking and will then do a complete exam, to see what dental care if any you want. It may be a simple cleaning, or you will need antibiotics if you already are showing some of the signs of gingivitis, it all depends on you. Your dentist will make sure that no procedures or medicines are given that would probably harm your baby.

Another way to prevent gum disease during pregnancy is to make sure that you eat a healthful diet, and stay away from sweet, sweet foods as much as humanly possible. Your baby doesn't need all that additional sugar, and your teeth and gums don't either.