Planning A Baby
One of the most important decisions a couple will make in their lifetime is whether or not to have a child.
The soon-to-be mother must mentally, physically, and emotionally prepare for the changes ahead.
Pregnancy-related hormonal changes can lead to a variety of alterations in the oral environment. Because we all know that prevention is better than cure, it’s a good idea to visit the dentist before being pregnant to discuss and understand what changes to expect.
Your oral health has an impact on your overall health, and vice versa. Oral infections have been shown in studies to be capable of causing serious health problems. E.g. Gum disease is a bacterial infection in the mouth. If not treated promptly, it has the potential to spread to other body organs via the bloodstream.
From youth to motherhood to menopause, a woman’s life is distinguished by hormonal shifts. Women should pay extra attention to dental hygiene during these hormonal stages to avoid gum disease and oral infections.
We recommend that, in addition to a thorough physical examination to rule out any undetected ailments or diseases, you see a dentist to rule out any oral health difficulties.
Go to the dentist in order to rule out
- Cavities
- Gum disease
- Bad breath
Smoking cessation is an example of a habit or addiction that can be overcome.
Oral health is critical to overall health, particularly during pregnancy. Even if you have never seen a dentist before, we encourage that you do so RIGHT NOW.
Healthy Habits
Regularly visit your dentist: Oral and dental issues can be detected and prevented with regular dental exams.
Even if you’re weary, brush and floss your teeth every day: Workplace stress, a busy social life, and the pressures of having a newborn might leave you with little free time.
Brushing twice a day and flossing once a day can save you a lot of time and pain.
Limit your intake of fast food: consume meals that are well-balanced: Plan a nutritious diet because junk food isn’t good for you. Junk food depletes your body of all the vitamins and minerals it requires to stay healthy. Make a healthy eating plan.
Regular exercise is beneficial to your teeth:
If you are considering a pregnancy, you must physically prepare your body and maintain a high level of fitness.
Consider getting aesthetic dentistry procedures while you’re pregnant rather than after you’ve given birth.
Maintain a Stress-Free Lifestyle: The key to excellent health is to be happy, serene, and content.
Nutrition Tips
Prior to pregnancy, you must make lifestyle and dietary adjustments, and you must also change your diet. Consume a well-balanced diet.
Consume enough synthetic folic acid (from fortified foods or supplements) as well as dietary forms of folic acid from a varied diet on a regular basis.
Consult a doctor to ensure you’re getting enough folic acid. Fortified breakfast cereals, citrus fruits and juices, dried peas and beans, and green, leafy vegetables like spinach, collard and turnip greens, and broccoli can be used to augment this.
Foods high in iron, iron-rich plant foods, iron-fortified foods, or foods that aid iron absorption, such as vitamin C-rich foods, should all be consumed.
Iron is essential during pregnancy because it helps to avoid anaemia.
Consume a wide range of fruits.
Eat extra broccoli, kale, and other dark leafy greens; orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash; and beans and peas including pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans (chick peas), split peas, and lentils.
Consume calcium-fortified foods.
Every day, consume at least 3 oz. of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta. One ounce is equal to one slice of bread, one cup of breakfast cereal, or half a cup of cooked rice or pasta.
Increase your protein intake by including extra seafood, beans, peas, almonds, and seeds in your diet.
Concerns Unique To You
Oral contraceptives:
With the expanding number of women, the impact of oral contraceptives on the oral cavity is becoming a growing issue. If you’ve been using oral contraceptives for a long time, you can notice some changes in your mouth, such as:
- Inflammation of the gums
- Local alveolar osteitis i.e the non-healing of an extraction socket.
- Dry mouth
Smoking, drinking, and drug use are all bad habits.
Smoking raises the risk of cardiovascular disease in women through affecting hormones that produce oestrogen insufficiency, which reduces the likelihood of conception. Smoking before and during pregnancy also raises the risk of miscarriage because it increases the probability of chromosomal abnormalities in an egg. Fertility and conception can be influenced by a man’s health and lifestyle. Smoking has been linked to problems with conception.
Drinking before becoming pregnant might also lead to complications. Alcohol intake has been associated to a lower chance of pregnancy and a higher risk of miscarriage.
Before you start thinking about having a baby, talk to your dentist about your existing general health conditions, medications, lifestyle, and habits.
