Pregnancy and your smile

Old wives tales say that you lose a tooth for every pregnancy you have and if you don’t get enough calcium during your pregnancy, your body takes it from your teeth, and these are just that, tales. The calcium your bady needs comes from your diet, not your teeth; if that is lacking then your body takes it from your bones.

Tooth loss during pregnancy is mostly related to the dietary and oral hygiene changes. During pregnancy, women tend to snack a lot more and often it is on sweet foods like ice cream, cake and biscuits. Healthy dieting is out the window and whatever stays down is what will be eaten. {{more}}This continual snacking exposes the teeth to acid attacks by the bacteria in your mouth. When this occurs often enough, the tooth decays and sensitivity and pain may ensue. What also accelerates this process is the fact that few women like to brush their teeth at this time, whether the taste of the toothpaste makes them sick or the toothbrush makes them gag. Whatever the reason, it’s just not happening as often as it should. This change in oral hygiene can also cause plaque build up on the teeth, irritating the gums, making them red and tender and likely to bleed. This condition called gingivitis can lead to more serious gum diseases.

To a pregnant woman, snacking is a must, so to prevent tooth decay and gingivitis, brush at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and floss to remove food particles from between your teeth. If the toothbrushing becomes a real challenge you may be advised to use a fluoride mouthwash or antimicrobial rinse.