Protecting your baby before birth is a natural instinct; yet, you may not know that your oral health and food choices affect the dental health of your unborn child.
For example, a mother-to-be who has poor oral health can pass on a lifetime of dental disease to her unborn baby.
Dental caries, which causes cavities, is the most common, preventable childhood disease. Caries is an infection that is transmittable from mom to baby, and children typically acquire caries before they are 2-years old.
If you have untreated caries or periodontitis (chronic, oral bacterial infection), you will transmit those bacteria to your newborn baby, so, it is essential that we remove the bacteria before you give birth. Controlling your periodontitis can help prevent the likelihood of a pre-term birth and low birth weight baby.
Your baby's dental health is at risk even though your baby's teeth have not yet erupted because bacteria-causing bacteria cling to other oral surfaces besides teeth.
Your diet is important. Pregnancy often means craving food. You likely reach for something quick—a snack that is sugar-laden which adds more food for your oral bacteria to feast on, thereby, increasing your risk for getting more cavities.
One way to help your newborn's dental health is for you to brush with fluoride toothpaste at least twice each day and floss once every day.
Many pregnant women don't seek dental treatment, but having regular checkups during your pregnancy helps protect your newborn against painful caries.
Houston dentist
Minh Nguyen, D.D.S.
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