Dental care key in pregnancy

If you have tender, bleeding or swollen gums during your pregnancy, notify your dentist as soon as possible. Risk of gum disease can be reduced by proper dental care and dietary changes. File photos.

The condition called pregnancy gingivitis is brought on by increased progesterone secretion causing the gum tissue to swell, bleed and redden in response to weakened immunity.

Pregnancy causes many hormonal changes which increase the risk of the expectant mother to develop gingivitis (inflammation of the gum tissue) and periodontal disease.

“During pregnancy, the changes in the hormonal levels affect the teeth and gums just like any other body parts.

Most commonly, gingivitis increases in the first trimester, becomes more severe through the eighth month, although it begins to diminish in the ninth month,” says Dr Lynn Esther Musinguzi, a dental surgeon at Pan Dental Surgery in Kampala.

If you have tender, bleeding or swollen gums during your pregnancy; notify your dentist as soon as possible because pregnancy gingivitis, a bacterial infection known to attack expectant mothers, actually exposes their unborn child to many risks, especially if the mothers also suffer from diabetes.

Risks caused by dental infection
“These oral problems have been linked in many research studies to pre-eclampsia (a pregnancy disorder where one gets high blood pressure and a lot of protein in the urine), low birth weight of the baby and premature birth,” says Dr Musinguzi.
Periodontal infections also increase C-reactive protein levels and amplify the body’s natural inflammatory response.

Periodontal bacteria may enter the bloodstream causing the liver to produce reactive protein which leads to inflamed arteries and blood clots.”

It is of paramount importance to halt the progress of periodontal disease in order to increase the chances of a safe and healthy delivery. There are many safe, non-surgical treatment options available for pregnant women.

Prevention of dental problems
“The risks of pregnancy complications caused by periodontal disease are reduced by as much as 70 per cent, by good oral hygiene and this will alleviate many unpleasant and harmful effects associated with gingivitis and periodontal infection.”

Occasionally, a large swelling of gum tissue will form, marked with many deep-red pinpoints. The dentist must assess the condition of the gums and jawbone in order to make proper diagnosis.

Dentists can provide dental education and recommendations to the pregnant women on effective home care which can reduce risks that may affect her and her child’s health.

“Risks of periodontal (gum) disease can be vastly reduced by proper home care, quitting smoking, dietary changes and taking supplementary vitamins,” explains Dr Musinguzi.

“However, sometimes emergency dental work such as a root canal or tooth extraction is necessary and has to be done by a qualified dentist because the mother could even die,” she adds.

Procedures to avoid
Dental work such as cavity fillings and crowns during pregnancy should be treated to reduce the chance of infection and this is ideal during the second trimester.
“During the third trimester, it is difficult for a mother to lie on her back for a long time. The safest course of action is to postpone all unnecessary dental work until after the birth,” says Dr Lyn Esther Musinguzi.

Elective treatments, such as teeth whitening and other cosmetic procedures, should be postponed until after the birth.

However every woman is different so a personalised treatment plan should be discussed and made with your dentist. X-rays should only be taken for emergency situations.