Caring for an Elderly Parent With Special Dental Needs
3 Reasons Why It Is Important To Visit A Periodontist During Pregnancy
Joe Lawrence
It is so important that you keep up-to-date on all of your medical checkups during pregnancy, and this includes your dental checkups as well. Your teeth need to be healthy and strong during your pregnancy in order to make sure that both you and baby will be healthy and free of any harm that may come from not properly taking care of your teeth. Seeing a periodontist during your pregnancy will help you to make sure you have healthy gums, and a healthy mouth overall. This article will discuss 3 reasons why it is important to visit a periodontist during pregnancy.
Help Stop Gingivitis From Becoming Periodontal Disease
Since there is more blood flowing into your gums during pregnancy, they are likely to become red and swollen much easier. This also increases their sensitivity to plaque on your teeth. If you have gingivitis before pregnancy or acquire it during pregnancy, it can easily turn into periodontal disease which can cause damage and loss to the bones around your teeth and even your teeth. Since periodontal disease is much more severe than gingivitis, it is important to go to a periodontist and have your gingivitis taken care of as soon as possible. Also, simply doing your best to care for your teeth by eating healthy, brushing and flossing regularly, and going to your regular dental checkups can make all of the difference in the world.
Remove An Oral Pregnancy Tumor
A pregnancy tumor or pyogenic granuloma can occur on your gums during pregnancy due to the hormone changes in your body. If you are pregnant and happen to get one of these, it is best to go into your periodontist to see if it needs to be removed. Sometimes the tumor will disappear on its own after pregnancy, however, if the tumor has excess bleeding in your mouth or causes you other serious problems, then it needs to be removed right away.
Decrease The Risk Of Periodontal Problems Harming Unborn Child
Since gum disease is an infection in your gums, it can enter the blood stream, which will then carry this bacteria to your unborn child causing them potential harm. Many studies have been conducted to see if this has a negative impact on your unborn child, and these have shown that there is a possible link between gum disease and a low-birth weight for your baby, high blood pressure, and giving birth too early. By visiting your periodontist and taking care of your teeth, you can lower or even remove any of these risks.
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Caring for an elderly parent tends to be tough enough without the added stress of dealing with dental implants or dentures. But, the prospect is not the end of the world—there are many things you can do to ensure that your parent's dental health is not compromised without having to spend a lot of personal time doing the care yourself. Between working with the right dentist, hiring a service provider for part time work, and giving your parent the tools he or she needs to care for his or her own dental health at home, you'll find that dental health for your loved one isn't so tough or time consuming after all. Hopefully you are able to get the support and information you need right here.