4 Great Dental Tips for Pregnant Women

Pregnancy is a thrilling, busy time for a woman, but during the thrilling time pregnant women should not overlook their dental health as it affects themselves and their babies.

Most routine treatment is perfectly safe during pregnancy. During the first trimester, however some procedures and medications should be avoided, so be sure to tell your Cardiff dentist if you are pregnant.

Here are 4 important dental strategies for pregnancy, courtesy of Cardiff Dental:

• • Keep your teeth and gums healthy. Gum disease is associated with premature birth and low birth weight babies. Keeping healthy gums can stop the transfer of decay-causing bacteria from you to your baby, which can lead to early childhood tooth decay.

Signs of gum disease include bad breath, red gums (instead of pink), swollen gums, and bleeding gums.

• Avoid or treat the damage that can come from vomiting and acid reflux. Pregnant women who experience morning sickness with vomiting and/or acid reflux are at an increased risk of tooth erosion.There are several ways to reduce this risk, including rinsing your mouth with water or mouth rinse, chewing sugar free gum, smearing a bit of toothpaste over your teeth, and waiting 30 minutes after vomiting before brushing your teeth.
• During pregnancy, increased hormone levels cause gums to be more sensitive to the normal bacterial plaque that forms on teeth. Women may notice that their gums are swollen or tender and bleed more easily. This can lead to gum disease.
• Quit smoking! Smoking while pregnant, or use of any tobacco product, is not good for you or your unborn child, and can lead to gum disease. It affects both of you, so quitting is also good for both of you!

At Cardiff Dental, our goal is to make quality dental care available during your pregnancy and after!

Take advantage of our special offers, by visiting our special offers page or calling us on (02) 4954 6688.

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