Pregnancy creates a lot of changes in your body, some in places you might not expect. It can especially create challenges for your dental health. In turn, this can be unhealthy for you and your baby. To protect your health, you need to continue visiting your dentist and perform consistent oral care, while keeping these possible issues in mind.

How Does Pregnancy Affect Your Dental Health?

1. Increased Risk of Gum Disease

Your hormones change dramatically during pregnancy, and since hormones control many body processes, this affects your full-body health. In the mouth, they can affect the circulation and inflammatory responses in your gums, which makes them more vulnerable to gum disease. Since this infection can spread to other areas of the body, you need to be more diligent about teeth cleaning, especially flossing, to prevent gingivitis and periodontitis.

2. Accelerated Tooth Decay

When you have a medical condition like morning sickness that makes you vomit frequently, your teeth are exposed to stomach acid. The acid wears down the dental enamel protecting the surface of your teeth. Changes in your eating habits during pregnancy can also make this problem worse, since frequent snacking means more sugar for oral bacteria to feed on. Rinse your mouth with clean water after vomiting and snacking to help wash away debris and dilute acid.

3. Pregnancy Tumors

While the name may sound frightening, pregnancy tumors aren't a threat to your health. However, they can look alarming, so it helps to know what they are before they occur.

Pregnancy tumors are small cauliflower-like growths that may develop on your gums. They aren't dangerous and usually they'll eventually go away on their own. Your cause for concern is if they're in an uncomfortable place or they get sore and irritated, in which case, your oral care provider can remove them.

For quality oral care during pregnancy in Lancaster County, visit Genrich Family Dentistry. Based in Lincoln, NE, they have over 30 years of experience and are members of the American Dental Association, the National Dental Association, and the Lincoln District Dental Association. Call (402) 466-2211 or visit their website to schedule a visit.