What to Know About Pregnancy and Your Oral Health

If you just found out that you are pregnant, congratulations! A growing family is a very exciting thing and pregnancy is definitely a unique time in every woman’s life. If you are new to pregnancy or are experiencing some different changes than you did with your prior pregnancies, then you may be surprised to learn that pregnancy and hormone changes can have an impact on your oral health. Let’s take a closer look at what you should know about pregnancy and your oral health.

Your Gums May Bleed More

An influx of hormones can mean a lot of changes to your body including bleeding gums. If you have noticed that when you brush your teeth or floss that your gums are bleeding more than usual, don’t be alarmed because this is normal. Just make sure that you continue brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice a day so that you don’t get any cavities.

Pregnancy Gingivitis

Another thing that some pregnant patients get is pregnancy gingivitis. Pregnancy gingivitis is a mild form of gum disease that causes redness, inflammation, and irritation in your gums. The good news about pregnancy gingivitis is that symptoms typically go away after your hormones die down either after you’ve either given birth or stopped breastfeeding.

X-Rays

You probably know that you shouldn’t expose your unborn baby to any sort of radiation while you’re pregnant, but what about dental x-rays? According to The American College of Radiology, there isn’t enough radiation in dental x-rays to cause any harm to an embryo.

If you are pregnant and have never had any issues with your oral health or if you are concerned about x-rays, hopefully, this article has helped answer a few of your questions. To learn more about your oral health during pregnancy, schedule your next dental cleaning with Dr. Steven Holbrook at our Albuquerque office and contact us at (505) 881-1159.