How Oral Health Affects Pregnancy And Baby Oral Health

A lot of people think the health of your mouth will inevitably decline during pregnancy. Although it is true that hormonal changes can result in tender and bleeding gums; you are not necessarily doomed to suffer from oral issues when pregnant. Keeping your mouth clean and healthy can ensure that you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Periodontal Disease And Pregnancy Periodontal disease can affect the health of your baby. Pregnant women with gum disease may have a higher risk of pregnancy problems like early labor and low birth weight. Research has found that women with severe periodontitis were found to have 7 times the risk of preterm labor and 5 times the risk of low birth weight than a woman with no oral issues. Additionally, the child is more likely to get tooth decay before the age of five. Dental Caries And Pregnancy Tooth decay is caused by bacteria, but babies are born without decay-causing bacteria. Later, the bacteria are transmitted to them through their mothers before they turn three. The most commonest ways bacteria is transmitted is through: Kissing If you are pregnant and do not have stellar dental health, you can reduce the risk of your baby having cavities. To do that, you can visit us at Select Care Dental and have Jared Anderson, DDS or treat your cavitiesMark Nuttall, DMD. Additionally, mothers who use products containing xylitol can also reduce bacteria in their mouth. If you plan on getting pregnant, visit us at Select Care Dental for a dental exam so that you can get treatment for any dental caries or gum disease before you get pregnant. Many women are afraid to go to the dentist during pregnancy because they are afraid some aspects, like x-rays, can harm the baby. However, at Select Care Dental, we take necessary precautions to keep you and your baby safe from anything that can harm your health. Sometimes root planing and scaling becomes necessary during pregnancy and a good time to schedule an appointment for that is in the early days of your second trimester. Non –urgent oral care can also be scheduled in your third trimester. If you are pregnant and are experiencing sings of tooth decay and gum disease, call us today at (541) 923-7633 to schedule a visit.