Trying to Get Pregnant? Your Oral Health Matters

California Dental Group can help you improve your oral health in advance of pregnancy

If you’re trying to conceive, the dentist is probably not the healthcare professional that you think of visiting first. However, the fact of the matter is that your dentist may be able to help you increase your chances of becoming pregnant quickly.

How?

By helping you to improve your oral hygiene and control gum disease.

Study Shows Gum Disease a Risk Factor for Delayed Conception

According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Western Australia, having a gum disease infection can increase the time it takes for a woman to conceive. The researchers analyzed the pregnancy planning and outcome information of 3,416 pregnant women and compared it to their oral health. The findings showed that women with gum disease took an average of 7 months to become pregnant. Women with healthy gums took just 5 months.

The disparity was worse among non-Caucasian women. These women were more likely to take over a year to become pregnant if they had gum disease. Researchers attributed this to the fact that these women appeared to have more severe gum disease infections with higher degrees of inflammation.

Gum Disease Also Affects Your Baby

Previous studies have shown that gum disease can also affect your overall health, and your baby’s health if you do become pregnant. Gum disease has been linked with premature birth, low birth weight, and even miscarriage. Because pregnancy hormones can cause the gums to become even more sensitive, strict oral hygiene practices should be followed throughout pregnancy.

Visit the Dentist Before Getting Pregnant

In light of the impact your gum health can have on fertility and pregnancy, it seems clear that women who hope to become pregnant need to take excellent care of their teeth and gums. This means you should try to visit the dentist before you get pregnant.

The dentists at California Dental Group can help you clear up any existing gum disease infections. For most people, all that is needed is a routine dental cleaning, which removes tartar from beneath the gum line and prevents it from continuing to harbor gum disease bacteria.

Another important reason to visit the dentist before becoming pregnant is that this will enable you to get any necessary restorative dental work, such as fillings, root canals, or crowns, done in advance. This will not only save you the discomfort of sitting in the dentist’s chair while hugely pregnant, but also prevent exposing your baby to any medication or x-rays.

Make your appointment today!