Myths
Too many people think that somehow the mouth has no connection to the body! Studies show that pregnant women with gum disease may be 7 times more likely to have a baby born early, too small and not healthy.
The truth is that gum disease has been implicated in many studies and shown to be a pre-term birth risk. Studies also show that traditional dental cleanings do not diminish this risk. Recently at a meeting of the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health, hygienists talked about women who had trouble conceiving, even after trying many medical solutions. When their gum infection was controlled and their mouths were healthy, these women conceived quickly and had normal pregnancies with babies born at full-term.
Hunt for answer
Gum disease is a problem caused by sticky bacteria that clump on teeth and irritate the gum surface. Some people have resistance to this irritation but other people react to the poisons with detrimental outcomes. During pregnancy the body has a heightened reaction to gum disease and pregnant women have long understood how easily their gums bleed and become puffy and red in color. This situation was once accepted as “normal” but now we know this is serious for mother and baby and gum infection MUST be controlled safely and quickly.
Making your gums bleed by flossing can make gum disease worse. A dental cleaning (when your teeth are infected) can actually cause medical problems. Open wounds allow harmful germs and poisons to enter your blood stream and give rise to a condition called a “bacteremia”. Be careful of this, since a bacteremia can initiate complications harmful to your pregnancy.
It takes a few days for harmful bacteria on teeth to produce enough poisons to damage the surface of your gums. These poisons / toxins make your gums swell and bleed. This inflammation starts reactions beneath the gum surface, as your body responds to a “call” for help. The body sends special fighting cells and more blood to the gums, in an effort to clean up the problem.
If the infection does not get better, our bodies try other methods to control the infection. Over a period of weeks the body sends out multiple signals and this is when the situation can spiral out of control. The body stops focusing on the gums and creates a more generalized response. Special fighting cells and more blood are sent everywhere: a response that can damage your heart, raise blood pressure, increase risk for stoke, diabetes, arthritis and worst of all end your pregnancy.
Tooth Truths
Make sure your mouth is healthy before (or as soon as possible after) you are pregnant! Clean your teeth with the rinse system that I recommend as a safe and effective way to stop plaque forming, without the risk of gum damage or creating a bacteremia.
Bleeding gums are a warning!! Use the mouth rinse routine twice or even three times a day to clean your mouth. Make sure your toothbrush is spotless and that you are not being infected by others in the family.
Closys is a great mouth rinse to protect the gums from toxic bacteria. Listerine has been shown to eradicate all the major bacteria responsible for gum disease is about one minute. ACT is useful to strengthen teeth, but it can also inactivate certain kinds of harmful bacteria that can get into the blood stream from gum disease. Use my system and give scary germs the 1,2,3 punch!!!
Xylitol is also useful to clean and protect teeth and can stop plaque forming. One teaspoon dissolved in water can be a useful drink to sip during the day – and a great way to eradicate the bacteria of gum disease.
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