Gum disease during pregnancy is a very common occurrence, which in no case can be ignored. The main causes of this ailment are stressful situations, insufficient amounts of nutrients in the body, vitamins, and other factors. Inflammation of the gums during pregnancy is dangerous, since such a process can adversely affect the development of the fetus in a woman, which will provoke very serious consequences in the future.
General description of the disease and main forms
Gum disease is a very common occurrence among pregnant women. The fact is that during pregnancy, the hormonal background in the female body changes, and many different processes that cause weakening of the immune system are also triggered. Thus, a woman during pregnancy may feel some discomfort in the oral cavity, for example during eating, or even with normal finger pressure on the gums. Slight bleeding during brushing may also occur. Basically, in such cases, there is an inflammatory process in the gums.
In medicine, gum disease during pregnancy (and not only) is officially called gingivitis. Pregnant women often develop hypertrophic and catarrhal forms. Each has its own characteristics.
Catarrhal gingivitis
Gingivitis during pregnancy, occurring in a catarrhal form, is characterized by bleeding from the gums after eating solid food, as well as the absence of soreness in the gums.
Hypertrophic gingivitis
With the hypertrophic form of gingivitis, persistent pain is observed, while the blood from the gums spontaneously, without any mechanical effect. In parallel, the gums begin to swell. The main cause of gum inflammation in pregnancy in this form is hormonal failure in the female body, vitamin deficiency, and the thyroid gland malfunctioning.
Ulcerative gingivitis
There is also the so-called ulcerative gingivitis, which manifests itself much brighter. Gum disease during pregnancy in this case is pronounced. In some areas, even tissue necrosis can occur. In parallel, regional lymph nodes increase, which, when pressed, provoke severe pain. This form of the disease is the most severe of all. It is worth noting that this form is considered the result of complications of the previous two forms if adequate treatment is not available. In addition, the development factors of this stage are:
- stress
- past diseases of the viral type;
- poor oral hygiene or lack thereof;
- hypothermia of the body.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that only with ulcerative gingivitis does the patient rise in temperature, the skin becomes pale, the pulse quickens, appetite disappears, and there is also a general malaise.
Causes of Gum Bleeding
Such an unpleasant phenomenon as gum disease during pregnancy has a simple physiological explanation. As a rule, the female body undergoes major changes and stresses during pregnancy. The endocrine system of the female body begins to function more actively, thus increasing the overall hormonal background. Such an imbalance negatively affects the whole body as a whole, and is also considered to be the cause of bleeding gums. In addition, it can lead to the development of other unpleasant situations:
- change in the structure of the gums;
- weakened immunity;
- change in microflora in the oral cavity;
- the occurrence of plaque.
At the same time, many do not even think about what exactly is plaque. The fact is that such a plaque is the so-called horde of various harmful microorganisms that focus on tooth enamel and parasitize in the oral cavity.
Many people believe that plaque is just a commonplace and familiar phenomenon that does not need special attention. But this is absolutely not the case. Together, factors such as plaque, altered gum structure, parasitic microorganisms in the mouth, provoke bleeding and gum inflammation during pregnancy. Treatment in this case is necessary.
In addition, gums during pregnancy can also bleed due to various mechanical influences. For example, chewing solid foods provokes damage to the mucous membrane in the gum region, the structure of which changes due to a surge in hormonal changes.
The main reasons why gingivitis develops are as follows:
- deficiency of vitamins in the body;
- increased level of acidity in the oral cavity;
- violation of metabolic processes in the body;
- toxicosis;
- using too hard a toothbrush.
Symptoms of gum disease
As a rule, inflammation of the gums near the tooth during pregnancy is observed in women for a period of 2 to 8 months. Based on this, it can be concluded that the symptoms for the second and first half of pregnancy are different. For example, gum disease in the first half of a pregnancy is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- soreness during brushing;
- change in the color of the gums;
- a small amount of blood on the gums;
- the formation of puffiness on the gums.
It is worth noting that the most pronounced factor that pregnant women complain about, as well as which speaks of the inflammatory process, is pain. Moreover, pain is felt not only during brushing, but also at rest. Many women, for this reason, begin to brush their teeth less often, but in this way they only increase the number of bacteria in the oral cavity. As a result of all this, the condition of the gums becomes even worse over time.
As for the symptoms of gum inflammation during pregnancy in the second half of the term, they are characterized by hypertrophy, which is an overgrowth of the papillae and the edges of the gums. As a rule, this symptom is expressed only on the front gums. This hypertrophy is divided into two types:
- swollen, when the papillae on the gums are soft, loose, bleed;
- fibrous, when the papillae on the gums increase in size and become dense.
The first signs of gum disease are: soreness, burning, bad breath, ulceration. A dentist can tell how to treat gum disease during pregnancy. Therefore, at the first signs of the disease, it is necessary to seek the help of a specialist in order to avoid possible negative consequences that could adversely affect the fetus.
Treatment features
Speaking about how to treat gum disease during pregnancy, it should be noted that there are different methods to combat such a pathology. First of all, the specialist must carry out mandatory diagnostic measures, after which treatment with the use of medications is prescribed.
Considering how to treat gum inflammation during pregnancy, it is also worth noting that in no case should one start self-medication, as this can provoke very unpleasant consequences and only exacerbate the whole clinical picture. Only an experienced qualified specialist should prescribe an effective and safe medication. The choice of a specific method of treating gum inflammation near the tooth during pregnancy will depend on several factors:
- stage of the disease;
- the degree of damage to the mucous membrane on the gums;
- other pathologies occurring in the female body;
- age of the patient.
Such an unpleasant phenomenon as gum disease, requires mandatory treatment. Speaking about how to remove gum inflammation during pregnancy, it should be noted that the main treatment process should begin with the elimination of plaque on the teeth. In this case, due attention should be paid to oral hygiene, as this is important to eliminate the main cause of the disease.
If the main factor in the occurrence of inflammation was a systematic injury to the gum mucosa, then in this case it is necessary to pay special attention to the diet, as well as the quality of the toothbrush.
In the most severe cases, the specialist resorts to surgery, with which plaque and hard dental deposits are removed, special tools are used.
Than rinse
Gum disease during pregnancy can also be eliminated by rinsing. For this, as a rule, the following antiseptic drugs are used:
- Chlorhexidine. During the inflammatory process, this drug is used in the form of a liquid solution. "Chlorhexidine" is capable of exerting anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. For rinsing, 10 ml of the solution is used, and the process itself must be performed for about 1 minute, at least 3 times a day.
- Miramistin. This antiseptic is quite effective in combating various pathogenic bacteria, including those that live in the oral cavity. In addition, rinsing with such a drug helps to quickly restore the affected mucous membrane. To get rid of gingivitis, a solution of 0.01% is used, which needs to rinse the oral cavity 3 times a day.
- "Furacilin". This solution is capable of deleterious effects on various harmful bacteria. In parallel with this, the drug has an astringent effect, thereby eliminating bleeding and contributing to the healing of microtraumas. To rinse, you must use a solution of 0.02% or dissolve one tablet of "Furacilin" in a glass of warm water. Mouth rinse after eating.
This technique should be attributed to alternative treatment of gum disease during pregnancy. However, it is necessary to clarify that such folk recipes are used only in conjunction with traditional medicine. In order to fully recover, first of all it is necessary to use medicines, after which it is already necessary to resort to traditional medicine.
Other folk remedies
Sage leaf has a number of useful properties, while it has a detrimental effect on inflammation. To prepare a decoction based on this plant, you need to take one tablespoon of crushed dry leaves of sage, pour raw materials with 250 ml of boiling water. Allow the broth to infuse for 20 minutes, then cool, and rinse your mouth with the resulting product about 7 times a day. In addition, for the manufacture of such a tincture, you can use chamomile flowers, which are used instead of sage leaves.
An excellent effect on the inflamed areas of the gums has a soda solution. To prepare such a rinse, you need to take one teaspoon of ordinary baking soda, dissolve in a glass of water. The resulting solution rinses the gums 5 times a day, preferably after eating.
Gels and ointments for gum disease during pregnancy
To cope with this unpleasant pathology, you can use special ointments and gels. Using an anti-inflammatory gel, you can get rid of redness and swelling of the gum surface, as well as eliminate pain. Basically, doctors recommend using Metrogil-Dent or Solcoseryl. These drugs are able not only to actively combat pathology, but also to eliminate soreness in a rather short period of time.
The main advantage of using ointments and gels is that these agents can act locally on the affected area. And this is important in the treatment of the disease during pregnancy, since these substances can not harm the fetus.
Dentists tips and tricks
Statistics show that in recent years, cases of women visiting dentists due to gum disease during pregnancy have increased. First of all, this is due to the fact that they ignore the rules of hygiene. Another factor in the development of gingivitis is the deterioration of living conditions, an unfavorable environmental situation in the world. To prevent the development of the disease, it is necessary to adhere to a number of preventive standards. Preventive measures are as follows:
- First of all, you need to follow simple hygiene procedures, with which you can quickly get rid of pathogenic bacteria in the oral cavity. It is important to choose a brush with a normal level of hardness, as well as the right choice of therapeutic toothpaste. Women during pregnancy after brushing their teeth should use special conditioners made on the basis of herbs. Such agents are able to have an antiseptic effect.
- It is also necessary to control the level of consumption of sweet foods. But if you can’t completely eliminate sweets from your diet, then you need to minimize their use. Especially experts emphasize the rejection of caramel and toffee, as these sweets are the cause of tooth decay, thereby adversely affecting the gingival tissue.
- Dentists and other specialists recommend including foods that are rich in vitamin C in the daily menu. Thanks to such food, you can not only increase your immunity, but also get rid of inflammatory processes in the oral cavity.
Pregnant women should monitor their health well, not neglecting the implementation of hygiene standards. The occurrence of any inflammatory process in the body is a signal that you need to immediately consult a doctor for help.