Hormones affect your mood, But did you know that they affect your mouth also? Hormonal fluctuations associated with puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause and use of birth control medications can cause changes in your dental health.

You can't control your hormone but you can be aware of changes in your mouth and work with your dentist to protect the health of your gums and teeth.

In this article we will be discussing about hormonal changes in pregnancy and Its effect on oral health.

Pregnancy

Hormonal and circulation changes that are part of pregnancy often change the body's inflammatory response to plaque and other irritants and lead to an increased chance of pregnancy gingivitis. Gingivitis occurs in 60 to 75 percent of all pregnant women. Changes in gum health are most noticeable from the second month of pregnancy, reaching a maximum in the eighth month. They are more common in front teeth than back teeth.Pregnancy may also cause tumor-like growths that form in areas of frequent irritation, in-between teeth, or in areas of poor oral hygiene with plaque or tartar buildup. This gum tissue growth is called a pregnancy tumor or pregnancy granuloma and occurs in up to 10 percent of pregnant women. These purplish-red to deep blue growths often grow rapidly but usually don't become larger than one inch across. 

Although gum changes are the most common changes with pregnancy, there are a number of other less common changes that women may deal with:

Hormones do not contribute directly to cavities, but they do cause an increase in appetite and often a craving for unusual foods, sometimes in the middle of the night. At night, saliva production is decreased, and women are less likely to brush after these "midnight snacks" — this leads to an increased chance of cavities.

 Acid erosion can occur as the result of repeated vomiting associated with morning sickness or acid reflux.And this can lead to increase in sensitivity( as tooth gets eroded by the acid of reflux). Some pregnant women complain of dryness of the mouth due to hormonal changes. A very small number of pregnant women start making too much saliva. It usually begins two to three weeks into their pregnancy and may lessen at the end of the first trimester. In some cases, it continues until the day of delivery.

How to deal with this problem?

  1. Maintain a good oral hygiene.
  2. Regular professional cleaning .
  3. Regular dental check up.
  4. Brush twice daily.
  5. If morning sickness is present then rinse their mouth with 1⁄4 teaspoon of baking soda mixed into 1 cup of warm water immediately after vomiting so that stomach acids will not remain in the mouth.
  6. If dry mouth is present then, drink lots of water, use sugarless chewing gums to increase salivation.

These are few common problems of teeth that is faced during pregnancy. Ideally if you are planning for a baby get your teeth also checked as there are few treatments which are avoided during pregnancy. And the teeth problems can get worse when you get pregnant. So, all the beautiful ladies out there, plz get a regular dental check up. And have a safe and healthy pregnancy period.