If you lost teeth to gum disease and plan to get pregnant in the future, it's a good idea that you treat your dental problems now. Gum disease can become worse during pregnancy and endanger the health and safety of your baby. A dentist can treat your gum disease with deep cleanings and replace your missing teeth with single dental implants. Both treatments not only improve your oral health, they can also protect you during and after pregnancy. Here's why you need to seek dental treatment before you get pregnant.
Why Is Gum Disease Dangerous During Pregnancy?
Gum disease develops when bacteria overwhelm the soft tissues of your mouth, such as your gums and teeth ligaments. The organisms form a living film on the surfaces of your teeth and beneath your gums. Although brushing and flossing your teeth remove most of the biofilm, they may not be enough to protect your oral health during pregnancy when you have gum disease.
Bacteria from your mouth can travel to your unborn child through your blood. Because babies rely on their mothers' blood to grow and develop properly during pregnancy, bacteria can interfere with how babies receive their nutrition. In a number of cases, bacteria can increase the babies' risks for infection, preterm birth and illnesses.
You may also experience problems with your pregnancy if the infection in your mouth keeps you from eating properly. Sources recommend that expectant mothers eat at least four servings of vegetables a day to stay healthy. Many vegetables, such as squash, zucchini and carrots, have hard textures that can aggravate your sore gums when you chew them, even if you broil and saute the vegetables. If your gums tend to bleed easily because of your gum disease, you may choose to skip your vegetables and lose the nutrition you and your baby need.
Having a dentist clean your gums thoroughly before and during pregnancy reduces the problems mentioned above. Because a dentist doesn't use chemicals during gum cleanings, you can have your teeth cleaned every six months. However, a dentist may suggest that you come in more often than six months because you have gum disease. It's critical that you discuss your situation with a dental provider to be sure you receive the proper dental care.
In addition, replacing your missing teeth with dental implants also benefits you during your future pregnancy.
How Can Dental Implants Protect Your Oral Health During and After Pregnancy?
When you lose teeth, the bone tissues inside the empty tooth sockets become inactive and no longer regenerate. Over time, your jawbones become smaller in size. Because babies require calcium and vitamin D to build strong bones during pregnancy, your jawbones can deteriorate even more.
After you deliver your baby, you may not have enough bone tissue to eat properly, which may affect how much breast milk you produce for your baby. Additionally, the bones of your body and jaws become prone to fractures, cracks and disease because they lack sufficient nutrients and strength.
Dental implants can stop the issues above by encouraging new bone cells to grow. The metal posts of dental implants fit directly inside your empty tooth sockets. As you bite down on food, the posts push against the jawbone tissues below them. The action tells or stimulates the old cells in the bone tissue to wake up and make new cells. The new cells gradually increase the size and height of your jawbones over time.
A dentist can discuss different types of dental implants and their treatment times with you during a detailed consultation. For example, if you expect to become pregnant within the next few months, a dentist may recommend that you get same-day implants to accommodate your plans. Same-day dental implants don't require extensive visits to the dentist to place. In most cases, it takes about 48 hours for a dentist to complete the placement. Again, a dentist will go over the methods, healing times and expected outcomes of each type of dental implant procedure.
If you want to know more about treating your gum infection and getting new dental implants in your mouth before pregnancy, contact a dental provider like Dale D. Lentz DDS today.
Share30 December 2015
After dealing with a few root canals, I realized that it was time to take my dental hygiene a more seriously. I talked with my dentist about what I could do differently, and he was full of great suggestions that would help. He walked me through different ways to brush, floss, and take care of tartar buildup, and it was really amazing to see the difference that it made. I also started taking a fluoride supplement to strengthen my enamel. When I made it to my next appointment, my dentist was blown away with the improvement. This blog is all about improving your dental appointments by keeping your teeth healthier.
