By Dr Rachel Chan, General Dental Surgeon

Pregnancy is an exciting time, during which the body undergoes many changes. Some of these changes can affect your teeth and gums. However, a good home hygiene routine and professional help from the dentist will ensure that you can have a healthy dentition throughout pregnancy.

One of the first problems pregnant mums encounter is morning sickness. The increased acid attack on the teeth can change their surfaces to make them more susceptible to decay. It can also thin the enamel to make teeth more brittle and sensitive. The best thing to do after an episode is to gently rinse out with warm water first followed by a fluoride rinse. It is not advisable to brush your teeth right after as the enamel has been softened by the acid.

Some women may feel more sensitive to tooth brushing actions and feel that this could trigger morning sickness. Some suggestions are to switch to a smaller toothbrush or a gentle electric toothbrush.

While cravings during pregnancy may include sweet, sticky foods or sour foods high in acid, it is important to try to keep low sugar, low acid options in mind and try to snack instead on foods high in calcium such as yogurt, cheese and milk. This not only helps to replenish the calcium in your bones but gives baby a head start in life.

The change that affects women the most is pregnancy gingivitis. This is a condition whereby the hormones in the bloodstream cause the gums to become more sensitive to food and bacteria that naturally live in the mouth, this makes the gums more inflamed and can make them bleed easily on brushing. In some women this is quite mild and they may not notice it. However, in others, the inflammation can be quite marked and become painful if left unchecked. This can lead on to benign growths known as pregnancy tumors. Overwhelming clinical evidence has also shown that gum disease during pregnancy can lead to premature, low birth weight babies.

When planning your pregnancy, it is advisable to keep up your regular dental examinations and routine preventive work such as screening x-rays can be done first to ensure your teeth are in the best possible condition before your body changes. During pregnancy, it is ideal to visit your dentist, especially in the second trimester to ensure that your routine has been adequate and a cleaning and gum treatment at this time is ideal to prevent pregnancy gingivitis. Lastly, it is good to remember that you are less likely to have problems during pregnancy if you already practice good oral hygiene habits.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call our appointment hotlines or email us at dental@raffleshospital.com