How does pregnancy affect dental and gum health?
Hormonal changes related to pregnancy can negatively affect the mother’s teeth and gums. Routine dental checkups during the different stages of pregnancy are therefore important—especially if gum or tooth problems already existed before pregnancy. Gum disease in pregnant women is also known to increase the risk of preterm birth, which is why timely diagnosis and care matter.
How can pregnant women influence the dental health of the developing child?
Who among us would not want to influence our child’s health even before birth? Tooth shape and predisposition to dental and gum problems have a genetic component. The fact that dental caries (“cavities”) have a genetic component may help explain why cavities still develop despite careful oral hygiene. Many other oral traits are also shaped by genetics—such as tooth color, gum shape, and a tendency toward gum recession.
Yet despite genetics’ strong role, not everything about oral health is “destiny.” Already during pregnancy we can influence the genetics of dental health—a concept known as dental epigenetics.
We can influence the strength of the teeth developing in the fetus through increased maternal vitamin D intake during the third trimester and the first week after birth. Higher vitamin D intake meaningfully strengthens enamel (the outer layer of the tooth)—not only for primary teeth that erupt first, but also for permanent teeth that begin erupting around age 6.
The amount recommended by the most recent study in this field is:
2,800 international units per day of vitamin D3, or 70 micrograms per day
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2747330?resultClick=1
In addition to vitamin D, it is advisable to create a healthy bacterial environment in the mother’s mouth before birth. Beneficial bacteria from the mother’s mouth can transfer to the baby during pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding (read more on this topic).
The oral microbiome can be supported, for example, with dental probiotics and sweets containing xylitol.
For personalized advice, you can schedule a visit at our clinic.