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How Pregnant Women Can Suffer from Gum Disease

by William Gist

For most women, pregnancy is a natural part of their lives. However, sometimes, women might have some issues during pregnancy. These problems could cause the baby to have low weight at birth or to be born earlier than expected.

Gum disease is one of the most common illnesses in humans and in its severe form which is known as periodontitis, the bone that supports the teeth and the gum tissues are destroyed over time, leading to the person losing their teeth.

source:healthychildren.org

Although gum disease and diabetes might seem like to quite different illnesses, dentists know that there is a connection between having diabetes and getting gum disease. Also, when compared to people who do not have diabetes, their teeth and gum are harder and worse to treat.

Possible Causes of Problem Pregnancies

Doctors cannot always tell why these problems occur, however, they think that the infection and inflammation might be the cause in most cases. Infections could occur due to germs traveling to the womb from somewhere else in the body and once place the germs could come from is our mouths.

source:healthychildren.org

Each and every one of us has thousands, if not millions of germs living in our mouths without causing us harm. But, when you get a gum illness, some of the germs might change and grow rapidly in numbers which can be a cause of an infection in your gums. This can lead to deteriorating tissue and bone that supports your teeth.

This is known as periodontitis or severe gum illness. When your gums are infected, some germs might leak into your bloodstream when you bite down hard or when you brush or floss your teeth. According to Daily Bio News, if this occurs in a pregnant woman, it can be one way for the infection to reach the baby in the womb causing premature birth or other problems.

Recommendations for Pregnant Women

source:healthychildren.org

As mentioned earlier, it is important for pregnant women to take care of their teeth. Firstly, it is necessary for you to take care of your teeth, and pregnant women are often encouraged to brush their teeth at least three times a day. This will help with removing the plaque from the teeth and gums, hence, you will be able to hinder the bacteria from spreading.

Conclusion

If you are planning on getting pregnant or if you are already pregnant, make sure that you make an appointment with your dentist in order to see if your teeth and gums are healthy. Your dentist will be able to see if there are any early signs of periodontitis and they will be able to treat the disease right away.

Also, they will give you useful advice on how to take proper care of your gums and teeth. Make sure that you make regular visits to the dentist’s office during the pregnancy since being pregnant can cause gum problems because of how your hormones change during the pregnancy. Keeping your teeth and mouth healthy will help you with keeping yourself and your baby healthy and safe.