Pregnancy and Oral Health

During pregnancy, women experience slight gingivitis and some might experience bleeding gums.
This is because there is a great effect of the hormones during pregnancy causing the gums to swell. This just means that pregnant women are prone to bacterial invasion with the inflamed gums. It attracts food debris to easily access the periodontal pockets causing it to build tartar and plaque.

Such is called "Pregnancy Gingivitis". This is usually noticed on the second month of pregnancy and might get worse up to the eighth month. This is caused by the increased levels of  Progesterone up to 10 times the normal level making the periodontal lining become hyperplastic.

Certain preventive measures can help minimize swelling of the gums. Pregnant women should consult their dentist at least every trimester to check and measure the development of gingivitis. Oral prophylaxis and good oral hygiene can also help.

Appointments at the Clinic

Most dentist usually have their patients shelled so as to avoid being congested in the dental office. This is also important to prepare their patients for the upcoming dental procedure.

When making appointments, makes sure to call your dentist at least one week ahead of time. This will also help your dentist study your case further and be prepared for your next visit.

Random procedures done during dental appointments are the following:

- oral examination

- teeth X-ray

- pulp vitality tests

Fluoride Therapy

Plaque is one of the reasons why your teeth are prone to decalcification because of bacteria that creates cavities in your teeth's surfaces and eats and eats it all out. To prevent this, it is advised that you have to brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once a day. Brushing your teeth helps in keeping your gums healthy as it also stimulates excellent blood circulation to prevent to nourish your teeth and help prevent periodontal diseases.

There are common active ingredients that toothpastes have and one of these is called “fluoride”. It contains detergents and foaming agents that help eliminate food debris that causes tartar and plaque making the tooth resistant to bacterial invasion.

Fluoride strengthens the tooth's surfaces making it resistant to any fractures, sensitivity and decalcification. It is usually applied at 6 years of age when the permanent teeth starts to grow. You should ask your dentist for more information about fluoride therapy as this is very helpful in maintaining a healthy set of dentition.