Gingivitis is a chronic inflammatory process that affects the gum tissue without disrupting the connection of the teeth with the alveoli and gum tissue. Experts attribute gingivitis to one of the most common gum diseases. At the same time, today there are several varieties of this disease, including gingivitis of pregnant women, or hypertrophic gingivitis, which is its most common form.
Reasons for the appearance of gingivitis in pregnant women
The main reason for the occurrence of hypertrophic gingivitis in pregnant women is a significant change in the hormonal background that occurs in her body. From the first days of pregnancy, the amount of hormones progesterone, somatomammotropin, gonadotropin, etc., produced by the placenta and the fetus, increases several times, which leads to an increased likelihood of such an unpleasant disease as gingivitis.
Even if the pregnancy is proceeding normally, and the hormonal background is disturbed to a small extent, the risk of gingivitis is not completely excluded. If the pregnancy is difficult, then the negative changes in the woman’s body are manifested much more noticeably, and the percentage of gingivitis diseases, accordingly, increases several times.
In this case, as a rule, the factors provoking gingivitis in pregnant women are the same as in the case of normal gingivitis. But it is pregnant women who are more susceptible to it due to the increased susceptibility of the body to the emergence and development of various inflammatory processes in the body.
So, hypertrophied gingivitis of pregnant women occurs due to hypovitaminosis, that is, a lack of vitamins in a woman’s body, due to metabolic disorders or toxicosis, which in most cases accompany even the normal course of pregnancy. In this case, the disease can occur in the early stages of pregnancy and progress right up to the very birth, passing from a mild form to a state of chronic illness.
Symptoms of gingivitis during pregnancy
The main symptoms of pregnancy gingivitis include:
- Hypertrophied enlargement of the tissues of the gums and gingival papillae, which cover the tooth crown only partially
- Redness and swelling of the gums
- Pain sensations that are aggravated by palpation of the gums
- Bleeding from the gums, which is especially noticeable when brushing your teeth
- Abundant plaque
- Bad breath
- Pain in the gum area while eating
Having found such symptoms, you should immediately contact a specialist who will conduct a preventive examination of the oral cavity, eliminate carious changes in the crowns of the teeth, determine the degree of the disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Prevention of gingivitis
Since the risk of gingivitis during pregnancy increases significantly, it is advisable to start taking preventive measures before pregnancy occurs. In extreme cases, if the pregnancy was not planned, the prevention of gingivitis should be started early.
So in the daily diet of a pregnant woman, fresh vegetables and fruits must be present, which will ensure the intake of a sufficient amount of vitamins into the body.
Particular attention should be paid to personal hygiene and, in particular, oral hygiene. Brush your teeth twice a day using a soft toothbrush. In addition, you need to regularly use dental floss to remove food debris and plaque in the spaces between the teeth, as well as rinse the mouth with special lotions or herbal decoctions that have an increased anti-inflammatory effect.
If possible, it is necessary to exclude or minimize the use of sticky, sticky and, especially, sweet foods.
And, finally, preventive examinations of the oral cavity and dental health by a professional dentist for every expectant mother should be mandatory and regular.