Oral health and pregnancy: may motherhood not cost you a tooth. Pregnancy gingivitis, pregnancy granuloma, increased likelihood of cavities and periodontitis, among the main risks. This is nothing new: women’s life cycle involves significant hormonal changes.
But perhaps it is true that these variations in estrogen and progesterone levels have consequences on oral health.
And since the greatest hormonal alterations occur during pregnancy, it is also during this period when a woman’s mouth can suffer the most setbacks.
The gums are the ones that suffer the most during pregnancy.
Pregnancy gingivitis is a disease that affects between 60 and 75% of pregnant women, generally between the third and eighth months, which causes the gums to become reddish, inflamed and bleed.
This type of gingivitis is exacerbated by the hormonal and vascular changes typical of pregnancy.
Although it usually disappears after childbirth, it must be controlled so that it does not get worse, since half of pregnant women who suffer from it can get worse, leading to periodontitis or “pyorrhea”, with all that this entails.
Despite the frequency of this disease, studies show that less than 1% of pregnant women develop gingivitis during pregnancy if they did not have gingivitis at the beginning of pregnancy.
But if the gums are inflamed before pregnancy, the chances of it occurring increase greatly.
Sometimes, gingivitis can be accompanied by a benign tumor called “pregnancy granuloma”, which grows rapidly but, in most cases, disappears after childbirth.
During pregnancy, the risk of tooth decay also increases, as changes in the composition and flow of saliva make it difficult to neutralize acids in the mouth and repair enamel.
This, in addition, can also be weakened by the vomiting characteristic of pregnancy.
Periodontitis multiplies the risk of premature birth by 3. According to the Spanish Society of Periodontology and Osseointegration (SEPA), a pregnant woman with uncontrolled periodontitis is three times more likely to suffer premature birth (before week 37), the main cause of perinatal mortality (immediately after birth) and the second cause of infant mortality during the first year of life.
But, in addition, women with uncontrolled periodontitis are almost four times more likely to not become pregnant than a woman with a healthy mouth, according to a study carried out by researchers at the University of Helsinki (Finland).
How to reduce oral problems during pregnancy Good oral hygiene is vital to keep bacterial plaque and, therefore, gingivitis at bay.
Also, visiting your dentist before pregnancy and at least once during it (in the second trimester) is essential to avoid oral problems that may worsen during pregnancy.
And taking into account limiting sugary foods between meals helps reduce the risk of cavities.