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SINGAPORE: Eat healthily, take prenatal vitamins and schedule visits to the obstetrician - expectant mothers have plenty to do during pregnancy.
Now, dental experts are advising pregnant women to add “good oral hygiene” to their prenatal checklist.
According to dentists TODAY spoke to, good oral health is critical for a healthy pregnancy.
Said Dr Sharon Chong, a dentist at Q&M Dental Group, a private dental healthcare group: “Poor oral hygiene leads to dental caries (progressive tooth decay) and gum disease. Bacteria caused by these two dental problems can enter the mother’s blood stream through the gums and affect the foetus.”
A study, which appeared in the Journal of Periodontology (JOP) last July, evaluated pregnant women who were at risk of premature labour.
The presence of periodontal (gum) bacteria, commonly found in the mouth, was found in the amniotic fluid of one third of the women.
Dr Chee Hoe Kit, a registrar at the periodontics unit of the National Dental Centre of Singapore said that “all infections are a cause for concern among pregnant women because they pose a risk to the health of the baby”.
Recent studies have shown that pregnant women with periodontal disease are seven times more likely to give birth to a premature or underweight baby.
“It appears that periodontal disease triggers increased levels of biological chemicals that induce labour,” said Dr Chee.
For women who already have gingivitis — the first stage of gum disease — “pregnancy hormones can worsen symptoms such as bleeding, tenderness and swelling in the gum tissue”, said Dr Chong.
Gingivitis occurs when plaque builds up, causing gum inflammation.
“By the third trimester, hormonal changes cause the gums to be more sensitive to plaque accumulation,” she added.
And because up to 75 per cent of pregnant women experience this condition, which usually starts to worsen around the second month of pregnancy, Dr Suresh Nair, a senior consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in private practice, advised pregnant women to have good dental habits as a healthy pregnancy strategy.
However, dentists told TODAY that pregnant women tend to rank oral health low on their priority list.
“Not all of them are keen to visit the dentist, especially if they’re experiencing discomfort from morning sickness and nausea,” said Dr Chee.
Dr Chong, who sees a “handful” of patients who are pregnant, said: “The neglectful ones do not even come in for dental appointments. A few come only when they have severe toothaches or bad infections.”
Ideally, women should achieve a high level of oral hygiene — which includes visits to the dentist twice annually on top of daily brushing and flossing — even before their pregnancy. “Visit a dentist, preferably before pregnancy, to fix any dental problems,” advised Dr Chong. - TODAY/ar
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