Oral Warning Signs During Pregnancy

Now that you are pregnant and are preparing for the arrival of your baby, you are probably hounded by a thousand and one things to do. Your health and that of your baby are your prime concerns. This is the time you ought to think about your oral health because the health of your teeth and gums can be linked to your baby’s health.

Pregnancy can affect your teeth and gums leading to conditions like gingivitis, bleeding gums and sensitive teeth can appear and ultimately influence the health of your baby. You must know the warning signs to be able to manage your mouth health especially during this time.

Elevated hormones trigger the body through incredible changes, helping the development of your baby. However, some of these hormonal changes also affect the tissues in the mouth.

Pregnancy Gingivitis

More than 60% of pregnant women develop pregnancy gingivitis, an early swelling and infection of the gums aggravated by the changing hormones. However, pregnancy per se does not cause gingivitis; it can be aggravated if there is a pre-existing condition. If untreated, it can proceed to periodontitis, characterized by bone and tissue destruction, and ultimately loss of the teeth. Poor pregnancy outcomes can also result from untreated periodontitis, including preterm birth and low birth weight.

During pregnancy, gums may also bleed which is also a symptom of pregnancy gingivitis. This is again due to the hormonal changes that encourage bacterial growth in the mouth, making gums sensitive to brushing or cleaning.

Due to changes in behavior, eating habits of pregnant women make them a risk for cavities. They tend to have more cavity-causing bacteria in their mouth that can be transmitted to the mouth of their babies. If babies born of these pregnancies are introduced to early snacking of sugary foods, or have long contact with their feeding bottles, they tend to develop early childhood cavities. This can also lead to extensive dental care in early life.

Morning sickness is also caused by elevated hormones and vomiting is a common symptom. The acidic content in the vomit can damage tooth enamel causing brittleness. This can make teeth extra sensitive, eroding the outer enamel leading to tooth sensitivity. Likewise, changes in the composition of saliva in around late pregnancy and even during lactation may temporarily predispose to caries and erosion.

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Learning More from our Bellevue Dentists

For more information regarding your oral health while you are expecting, visit your Bellevue dentist here at Overlake Dental.

More Helpful Oral Health Tips When You Travel

Here are more helpful tips in oral health care while you are out on a vacation, a business trip, or enjoying a holiday.

Did you also forget the toothpaste? While it’s easy to buy toothpaste from any convenience store, you might freak out when you realize you just don’t have it at the last minute. Don’t say you’ll stop brushing and defer the routine for another time. Just use plain water and brush your teeth as you ordinarily would. It’s better to resort to this than not brushing at all. Also gargle with your mouth rinse for good measure.

You might be using or wearing dentures, retainers, or mouthguards which you may be taking along with you. Remember that they also need special care so don’t forget to bring any special cleaning supplies for them. If you are wearing braces, bring some wax. And in case you should have a toothache, you also must have painkillers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Can you trust the local water supply where you are staying?

If you are unsure, do not brush your teeth with their water, or even clean your toothbrush with it. Water might be contaminated and make you ill. This is especially so if you are in a country where the water supply is compromised, or you might be outdoors and are not sure if the streams are safe. Always use bottled water for brushing, as well as cleaning your toothbrush with.

While travelling, on vacation or a holiday, you can easily overindulge in eating. The local cuisine in many destinations is most often the pride of the place. Hence, you may let go of yourself and tend to overeat and try everything. Just make sure that after you’ve indulged in lots of sugary, starchy, and acidic food and drinks, in food or in drink, brush your teeth well, floss and rinse. Enjoy the holiday but do not forget oral hygiene. If you can, try to moderate your intake while doing your oral hygiene routine as well. While you’re on holiday, bacteria and acid are still at work and do not take days off.

As soon as you get back from your trip, get back on track with your usual oral hygiene care. In case you were not too faithful to your hygiene routine and you overindulged in sweets and starchy foods, just going back to your routine at home may give peace of mind.

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See our Bellevue Dentist Before and After a Long trip

When you have been away too long or might not have paid us a visit before you embarked on your trip, do see your Bellevue dentist when you come back. It’s best to ascertain your oral health at this time.

Helpful Oral Health Tips When You Travel

If you are planning on a vacation, a business trip, or any travelling in the near future, be sure you keep in mind your oral health, just like you would do with other things. Are you prepared with what you need to do or bring when it comes to the health of your mouth when you travel? Get some helpful tips here.

If you know you would be traveling from your home base for some length of time, be sure to pay a visit to your dentist first. Have a thorough check-up. You’ll never know if a dental emergency might crop up while you’re away. You must also have enough time to spare for follow-ups in case they are needed. This way, you are assured that no untoward incident related to your mouth health will bother you, especially when you are far away from your dentist who knows your oral health best.

Prepare your dental travel kit early.

Have in there your toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, and sugarless gum. Better bring along a regular, manual toothbrush rather than your electric toothbrush as you may not know if the voltage matches. Have everything inside a kit that is easily accessible. Include your dentist’s calling card as well as keeping it in your phone and your wallet in case of emergency. Your dentist would know if your issue should be treated right away or can wait until you get back.

If you are out of the country and absolutely in need of a dentist, get in touch with the local consulate or U.S. embassy. You can also ask for a recommendation from them or with your hotel concierge.

If you forgot your toothbrush and you don’t have time to rush to the local drugstore in the area (if there is one), rinse vigorously with water. Or you can put some toothpaste in a clean washcloth or on your clean finger and apply. Do not let cavity-causing bacteria stay too long in your mouth. Buy yourself a regular toothbrush when you have the chance. Look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance. otherwise, choose a toothbrush with the softest bristles.

Using a Clean Toothbrush

While you can keep your toothbrush clean and air-dried at home, it may be difficult when you are traveling elsewhere. Keep your toothbrush in a resealable plastic bag, out of reach with other stuff in your kit or your luggage. When you get to your destination, let it out and air dry.

Did you know that chewing sugarless gum while in flight can help relieve ear pressure? It also keeps cavities away because you are keeping your saliva flowing. Research shows that chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after a meal hydrates the mouth. Be sure you’ve packed an ADA-accepted sugarless gum.

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Learning More From Your Bellevue Dentist

When you have a planned lengthy trip coming up, drop by our Bellevue dentist. Let’s see if you and your mouth are ready for travel and prevent any dental emergencies on your trip.

Tips for Summer-Healthy Smiles

Summertime is here and the warm months are a call for vacations – to road trips, the beach, outdoor activities, and the like. You can easily set aside your usual dental hygiene routine. So to prevent summertime tooth decay, here are three ways to stay mouth-healthy.

Stick to the dental hygiene routine and resist the temptation to skip.

Families should not forget brushing and flossing even while on vacation. Kids should especially be reminded about their usual oral hygiene routine – brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing once a day. You can get easily caught-up in the events and activities of the vacation but dental hygiene should not be missed. Especially when your kids are still small, and you might be in the midst of still training and supervising them, be sure you’re around to see that they are doing the brushing and flossing properly and consistently. It will keep your kids on track and still have healthy mouths by the time they go back to school.

Limit sugary snacks and drinks.

While on vacation during the hot summer months, there’s bound to be lots of snacking and drinking while enjoying family events, engaging in sports, and joining festivals. Be mindful about sugary intake of soda, juice, or lemonade to quench thirst. Once in a while is fine, but water is still best to beat the heat. Treats like candies, ice cream, cakes, as well as starchy foods like chips, can be enjoyed but sparingly. Have healthy full meals to avoid too much snacking. If this is practiced at home, then it will still be fun even when you are on vacation.

Importance of Routine Dental Visits

When your kids go back to school and have their routine dental visits, you can be assured that there will not be oral issues like discovering dental cavities. It is even better to have your kid’s back-to-school appointment early in the summer to avoid the August rush. Calendar this so that you get the appointment time that works best for you.

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Making Appointments Early with Your Bellevue Dentist

Come see our Bellevue dentist early before you go on your summer vacation. The whole family can have a checkup to avoid any potential issues that may otherwise arise after the summer months.

Lowering the Risk of Diabetes and Muscle Loss

A group of researchers from Shimane University, in Izumo, Japan, came out with a small, longitudinal study saying that among older adults, there seems to be an increased risk of diabetes and muscle loss if they have poor oral health. They talk about poor oral health as ‘oral frailty’ which is a measurement of number of remaining teeth, chewing ability, and difficulties eating and swallowing.

Participants totaled 635, between 40 and 74 years. The researchers assess their chewing ability, or masticatory function. They also counted the number of teeth, measured calf circumference twice for both legs, as well as skeletal muscle mass and handgrip strength. To assess sarcopenia (loss of muscle and weakness due to aging), the researchers applied a standard diagnostic algorithm that incorporates muscle strength, mass, and physical performance. They also screened for diabetes and adjusted the results as per sex, age, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol use, and level of physical activity.

What were their findings?

Having fewer remaining teeth and poor chewing ability were significantly associated with a weaker handgrip and possible sarcopenia. It was also significantly associated with diabetes. There were no statistically significant associations with calf circumference or skeletal muscle mass. It was speculated that those with reduced chewing ability or fewer teeth may have an increased risk of diabetes because of eating more soft, sugar-rich foods and having shorter mealtimes. Both factors would cause a bigger spike in blood glucose levels after eating.

What are their recommendations?

To maintain chewing ability, dentures are recommended to prevent further tooth loss. Gum disease must also be treated early as they can cause tooth loss and can lead to decreased insulin sensitivity and impaired glucose tolerance. To reduce the risk of diabetes and sarcopenia, older people should eat more slowly and brush their teeth after meals. By taking care of their oral health, they would help maintain their overall health.

However, the study has some limitations. The research is relatively small, though statistically significant. It was unable to establish any causal relationships due to its cross-sectional design and it did not account for potentially important features of oral health, such as gum disease, denture use, and brushing teeth.

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Watching the Oral Health of Older Adults in Bellevue

Older adults face many oral health risks that is why we at Overlake Dental make it our business to especially pay attention to our older patients’ health of teeth and gums. Come see us in Bellevue.