Concept and symptoms
Pregnant women experience important hormone changes, with a particularly strong rise in oestrogen levels. This high concentration of oestrogens affects the gums, fostering the proliferation of certain pathogenic bacteria and causing swelling.
This inflammation occurs above all in women who have suffered gingivitis before their pregnancy, associated with bleeding and pain when brushing. It is a situation which some women wrongly believe to be normal given that they have experienced said symptoms from a very young age.
The symptoms of gravid or pregnancy gingivitis are the same as all other kinds of gingivitis: smooth, swollen, red gums which bleed when brushing or while eating. Sometimes they even bleed spontaneously. You may also find that you have bad breath.
Treatment
- A check up at our surgery to study the extent of the gingivitis. If it is serious, with moving teeth, in fact the issue will be periodontitis rather than gingivitis. However, this is rare in pregnant women.
- Treatment with toothpaste and mouthwash containing chlorhexidine antiseptic.
- Tooth cleaning at your dentist’s. Depending on the extent of your condition, cleaning may be required several times during your pregnancy.
- Careful cleaning of your teeth and gums, 3 times a day as usual, after every meal. Furthermore, pregnant women who frequently eat between meals and suffer from gingivitis should, if possible, clean their teeth every time they eat.
Most of the disorders that appear during pregnancy can be reversed with strict hygiene.
