What is Pregnancy Gingivitis

Often, pregnancy comes with a whole bunch of different factors, such as hormones being different, your body changing to support the new life, but it also changes your oral heath as well, putting you at risk for various problems. Sometimes, too many hormones puts you at risk for gums that are bleeding and tender, and this is called pregnancy gingivitis. You should talk to your Roseburg dentist if you notice this, especially since you have morning sickness and ferocious appetites to add to this, and also to make sure if cavities are present and how to fix this. It’s important to keep a good eye on any pregnancy-related dental problems, and what to do about them.

Now, pregnancy gingivitis is often something that happens during the second month of pregnancy, which is often when you notice it, and it’s the worst during the eighth month. This involves red gums instead of the pink ones, gums that are tender and swollen, and gums that bleed easily whenever you floss or brush. If you don’t reverse this, it actually can become something much more, which is periodontitis, and this can harm not only the gums, but also your teeth and the bone supporting said teeth. This is irreversible damage in many cases. If you notice that you have a toothache, a tooth that is loose, a growth in your mouth, or bad breath and receding gums, you should definitely make sure that you see your dentist about it.

Now, usually the cause of this is progesterone. This is something that is produced a whole lot more when you’re pregnant, and when it is produced, it puts everything out of balance in your body, and in your mouth. Now, progesterone is vital, since it will keep the uterine lining healthy, help with the blood sugar, improve sleep, and even lower anxiety, but it also can help to promote bacterial growth in your mouth, and that’s how gingivitis happens. Not only that, it can suppress normal immune response, which means that the body might overreact if there is plaque in your mouth, and this is how the gingivitis forms.

This is often a condition that you do want to take care of.

Now, the best way to do so is to get your dentist and hygienist to help with the pregnancy gingivitis. This is typically removing plaque and bacteria, which in turn will cause inflammation. This means that you should go to the dentist a lot, typically every few months, especially for hygiene visits. You might also be given new tools to use to help control bacteria that cause disease. Now, even if you have the most perfect pregnancy, you might get this, so you should make sure that after all of the cleanings and in between them, you do make sure that you brush and floss like crazy.

You also should make sure that you do this as well, especially if you’re vomiting a lot. Pregnancy does cause other dental problems, such as cavities. Whenever you vomit, you’re eroding the enamel and it will promote cavities. You should try taking antacids and ringing with baking soda after you vomit to help protect the teeth as well.

Along with this as well is that you might notice that you’re craving a lot more foods to help stabilize the blood sugar. However sometimes these sugary foods can cause cavities as well. Having fermentable carbs does contribute to tooth decay, so if you do end up getting this craving, you should start to brush about thirty or so minutes afterwards and drink a lot of water.

Pregnancy is a change in the body in many different ways, and for some people, these changes can affect their overall oral health. If you’re worried about it, or if you find out you became pregnant, it’s best that you see your Roseburg dentist right away to get the treatment that you need. They’ll be able to not only clean the teeth, but also help with any inflammation that might come about as a result of this, allowing you to have teeth that are not only taken care of, but they are white and healthy, even after the baby is delivered.