When Hamidah Shivji was pregnant with her daughter, a growing belly wasn?t the only change happening to her body. ?My gums were more inflamed and tender feeling than normal, and I had more bleeding when I brushed my teeth,? says the Calgary mom. And because brushing provoked her gag reflex, making her persistent nausea worse, Shivji wasn?t able to keep her teeth as clean as she would have liked. So she scheduled more frequent cleanings with her dental hygienist.
?Dental health is an issue during pregnancy,? says Euan Swan, manager of dental programs for the Canadian Dental Association. ?Women can have swings in their appetite that result in snacking on sugary foods, so they can be at higher risk of tooth decay. And with changing hormone levels, they can experience a mild inflammation of their gum tissue.?  .related-article-block{display:inline-block;width:300px;padding:.5rem;margin-left:.5rem;float:right;border:1px solid #ccc}@media (max-width: 525px){.related-article-block{float:none;display:block;width:280px;margin:0 auto 2rem}}

   
   

   Pregnancy food guide: The truth about what you can and can't eat'

Pregnancy gingivitis

Shivji?s inflamed gums were due to a mild case of pregnancy gingivitis, a condition that affects at least 30 percent of pregnant women (and some experts believe it affects them all). Pregnancy gingivitis is characterized by gum swelling, bleeding and tenderness that?s caused by increased levels of the pregnancy hormones estrogen and pr...