Can Your Jaw Shift during Pregnancy

Oct 10, 2022

Pregnant women do not consider changes to their dental health, thinking their teeth and mouth have no connection with their pregnancy. However, during pregnancy, many women experience changes to the teeth and gums, making it essential for them to discuss with the Streetsville dental clinic as they move through their pregnancy.

The connection between pregnancy and teeth might seem odd. However, there are many reasons why dental health is impacted during pregnancy. For example, the changes might result from morning sickness, dietary changes, or hormones created by the body during this delicate moment that affect the teeth.

This article runs you through some changes you must be aware of about your teeth and gums during this exciting and challenging period.

How Can Pregnancy Impact Dental Health?

It is well established that fluctuating hormones during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause can impact the condition of a woman’s dental health. The hormonal changes are a primary reason women globally become more vulnerable to poor dental health than men, that experience fewer hormonal fluctuations.

A chemical produced by the ovaries and placenta, Relaxin helps soften ligaments. The softening is essential because it helps the body to allow the procedure of childbirth. The chemical softeners the ligaments and stretches them to temporarily allow the pelvic bones to shift position during pregnancy.

Do Teeth Move during Pregnancy?

The high relaxin levels in the body during pregnancy and soon after cause women’s teeth to shift during pregnancy, and x-rays have confirmed this phenomenon. As a result, women’s teeth become crooked during pregnancy in some cases, while in others, the movement leads to a correction of the problem. Therefore women wearing braces might notice the process of moving teeth into a better position speeds up because they are more pliable during this exciting period. However, it must be noted that the moment of teeth does not occur in all women during pregnancy, but it is information that you must be aware of and discuss it with cosmetic dentistry if having or considering braces to straighten your teeth.

Pregnancy Gingivitis

Approximately 60 to 70 percent of women are affected by pregnancy gingivitis caused by an increase in progesterone. Progesterone encourages more robust blood flow programs leading to increased teeth sensitivity and bleeding when brushing and flossing. Although pregnancy gingivitis doesn’t cause teeth movements, women may notice swellings on the gums called pregnancy tumours that generally disappear after the birth of their child.

Morning Sickness

Experiencing morning sickness is standard for pregnant women, and some may experience the unpleasant feeling of nausea throughout the day. Unfortunately, some may have severe morning sickness to throw up regularly. The acids that rise from the stomach come into contact with the teeth to damage them and cause enamel erosion. Therefore the dentist near me suggests rinsing the mouth with water and cleaning teeth as soon as possible after throwing up.

Cavities During Pregnancy

Many women start indulging in treats they generally avoid during pregnancy under the premise that they are eating for two. Unfortunately, while the perception of women is genuine, their teeth remain vulnerable to sugar damage during pregnancy. In such cases, cavities can develop existing holes can worsen, making treatments challenging to access because x-rays and anesthesia are avoided until after childbirth. Therefore women must ensure they are careful with indulging their sweet tooth and maintain excellent dental hygiene throughout their pregnancy if they fall prey to some sweet treats.

Teeth can move during pregnancy because of the higher relaxin levels and not from other issues like morning sickness, pregnancy gingivitis, and cavities. However, while some changes are temporary, others need ongoing treatment from dentists to manage or control them after pregnancy.

Will My Face Return to Normal after Pregnancy?

Pregnancy brings plenty of changes to the skin, and most disappear after childbirth. At the same time, some loose skin might be left on the body because of weight gain because the skin comprises collagen and elastin, which expands with weight gain. Overstretched skin might have trouble returning to its original shape.

Your face will likely return to normal after pregnancy if you haven’t gained excess weight in the facial area. However, if you are referring to the movement of teeth returning to normal after pregnancy, you will likely not notice significant differences in your face after childbirth. In reality, your teeth and gums start behaving as they did before pregnancy, allowing you to continue your regular activities as usual.

If you are expectant and worried about your teeth and jaw shifting during pregnancy we suggest you relax and discuss with Monarch Dentistry to ease your fears. The meeting with this dental practice provides information on how and why you experience changes in your body during pregnancy and the best ways to manage or prevent it for your help.