The changes in the endocrine system that take place during pregnancy can increase a woman's risk of developing a chronic gum infection known as periodontal disease.
If you are an expectant mother and have been diagnosed with this dental issue, it is important to take action to rectify this problem, as gum disease has been linked to miscarriage as well as other pregnancy-related complications. Here are two steps that you can take in this situation.
Ask the hygienist at your dentist's clinic for advice on how to improve your oral hygiene techniques
As explained above, the development of periodontal disease during pregnancy is often the result of the endocrine system undergoing changes.
This means that it is not usually the result of poor oral hygiene. However, if you do tend to take a careless approach to flossing, brushing and rinsing, then this could exacerbate the symptoms of your gum disease, even if the disease itself was caused by hormonal changes.
For example, if your gums are inflamed because of hormonal-related changes in your body and you then fail to properly brush off the plaque along your gum line, this plaque could worsen the existing gum inflammation and increase the speed with which the gums recede.
Given this, it is worth having a discussion with the hygienist at your dentist's clinic about how you can improve your oral hygiene.
They can offer tips on how to angle your toothbrush to access and remove all of the plaque that may be lurking on the hard-to-reach areas of your teeth and demonstrate how to move a string of floss in such a way that it catches the bits of food that are in the pockets between the teeth and the gums.
Additionally, they may recommend specific products (such as a water flossing device, an electric toothbrush and a toothpaste that contains a special disinfectant called chlorhexidine) to make it easier for you to remove or kill the plaque bacteria that would otherwise exacerbate your gum disease.
Ask your dentist to refer you to a periodontist
Even if you follow the advice given to you by the dental hygienist, you may still find that your gums remain quite inflamed and carry on receding during your pregnancy.
If this happens, you may want to ask your dentist to refer you to a periodontist. This is a dentist who specialises in treating gum-related conditions.
This specialist may be able to perform procedures that will stop this disease from causing such severe gum recession that your bite alignment changes, your teeth loosen and you begin to develop periodontal abscesses.
Examples of the procedures they may decide to perform include a gum graft (where healthy gum tissue is attached to an area where the gum has receded) or a root debridement (where calculus on the tooth root is removed).
