Your Livonia family dentist, Dr. James Stewart, cares deeply about the health of you and your loved ones. In honor of National Women’s Health Week, he would like to take the time to educate you on the importance of prenatal dental care with the following bits of information.
1. True or false. Pregnant women hardly ever develop gingivitis.
Answer: False. Pregnant women actually are more prone to gingivitis due to their heightened hormone levels, which cause their gums to react more severely to plaque. This condition is often called pregnancy gingivitis.
2. True of false. Women with gum disease are more likely to give birth to underdeveloped children than women without gum disease.
Answer: True. Periodontal disease, as it is officially known, puts women at three times the risk of giving birth to a baby that is underdeveloped or underweight. Gum disease during pregnancy also increases a woman’s chance of delivering her baby prematurely.
3. True or false. Usually, pregnant women only have to visit the dentist once during their term.
Answer: True. Unless a problem arises, one dental visit should suffice. The dentist will provide you with the care and information you need without subjecting you to long hours in the dentist chair, which can become very uncomfortable, especially later in the pregnancy.
To ensure the safety of you and your unborn child, schedule your appointment with our Livonia, Michigan dental office today by calling (734) 425-4400. We take care of patients from Farmington, Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Garden City, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Westland, and the surrounding Livonia communities.