Authored by Angela
We often hear from our expectant and post partum mothers that they experience bleeding and gum inflammation during pregnancy. Many women even believe that they are doomed to have decay and inflamed gums during pregnancy. As a woman currently experiencing pregnancy for the very first time, I’ve also read multiple pregnancy books, articles, and information on pregnancy tracking aps telling me that I will be experiencing bleeding gums as a result of pregnancy. Contrary to this belief, here I am nearly 35 weeks pregnant and I have yet to experience bleeding gums and I’ve found great satisfaction in disproving the theory that pregnancy will destroy my teeth and gums. I’ve also never had a cavity!
Over the years I have paid close attention to my oral hygiene routine, even long before I began working in the dental office. Growing up I had parents who emphasized oral health and wellness. Effective teeth brushing was a high priority in our household. Even though I brushed and flossed, going to the dentist was always a stressful event because I feared learning that there would be a decline in my oral health. One of my greatest fears in life is getting a cavity, however after spending the last 4.5 years working in the dental field I have become more fearful of having bleeding gums or periodontal disease. It is never normal for your gums to bleed, even during pregnancy. Bleeding gums is a sign that there is inflammation in your mouth that is most often caused by a bacterial infection or periodontal disease.
When I discovered that I was pregnant I decided to conduct a longitudinal study on myself that would prove that it is possible to maintain oral hygiene and gum health during pregnancy. I wanted to be able to confidently tell our patients that it is possible to have healthy gum tissues and also remain cavity free while pregnant. Fortunately, for me, I work in an office where we measure plaque and bleeding control during our hygiene visits.
During the 10th week of my pregnancy Johana checked my dental fitness scores and measured the plaque and bleeding levels in my mouth. I had 100% bleeding control and 91% plaque control. I was thrilled to learn that my gums were in perfect health early on in my pregnancy since early pregnancy presents many challenges and changes to our daily routines. In the early weeks of my pregnancy I felt very nauseous, I experienced some vomiting, the exhaustion was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, and my diet was terrible. I had a lot of food aversions and I found myself eating a higher volume of acidic foods and an increased amount of carbohydrates. For example, I cannot stop snacking on tomatoes and peanut butter sandwiches. Tomatoes are very acidic and excessive amounts of acidic foods can wear down tooth enamel. Peanut butter sandwiches can get stuck in the grooves of your teeth and cause plaque to quickly build up if it is not removed properly. I understand why and how dental hygiene can be impacted by pregnancy, however I also know the importance of making it a priority. During pregnancy everything you do feels exhausting and almost anything, including brushing your teeth can, at times, make you feel nauseous. The challenges are imminent, and yet what I have determined, from my experience, is that oral health remains within your control during pregnancy.
Our office focuses on educating our patients about the links between oral bacterial infections and the rest of the body. I know that bleeding, inflamed gums can be extremely dangerous and detrimental to my health. Knowledge is power and the knowledge that I have gained about oral systemic health gave me the power to take control! At my hygiene appointment at 10 weeks pregnant I told Johana my plan to maintain my oral health throughout my pregnancy and disprove the theory that bleeding gums during pregnancy is normal.
My dental hygiene routine hasn’t changed since becoming pregnant. I brush my teeth with an electric toothbrush, floss with coco floss, and brush again with a manual toothbrush. No matter how terrible I have felt I made sure to brush my teeth every morning [after breakfast] and every evening [ after dinner]. Both times, followed by flossing. Most days I also brushed my teeth after lunch, especially days I ate peanut butter sandwiches. As time consuming as it may seem, my dental hygiene routine helped me continue to have good oral hygiene habits during my pregnancy because it was already established. No matter how terrible I felt or how tired I’ve been I have made it a priority.
This week when I had my hygiene appointment Kayla checked my dental fitness scores again. I hadn’t seen any bleeding when I was flossing and brushing at home so I had a good feeling going into the hygiene appointment. I STILL had 100% bleeding control and my plaque control was 90%, one percent lower than last time. Though I was frustrated with my minor decline in plaque control, I was thrilled to learn that I had disproved the idea that if you become pregnant your gums will become inflamed and bleed.
I recognize that each individual person has their own challenges and each pregnancy also has it’s own challenges, but like anything else in life there are always ways to overcome those challenges. I am fortunate to work in a dental office that values education and helps patients establish excellent home care routines specific to their individual needs. Having an established oral hygiene routine helped me maintain my oral health throughout my pregnancy because it has become a habit, making it easier to maintain and prioritize.
If you are pregnant and your gums are bleeding we can help! Let your hygienist know at your next hygiene appointment and she will help you establish oral hygiene habits that will reduce the bleeding and keep you healthy.
