Hello all you helpful Mamas out there.
I am hoping that someone can give me some advice. I know that this is probably more of a vanity thing right now, but I need all the positive self image I can get. My last pregnancy, I had the basic bleeding gums - when I flossed, they would bleed slightly, no real problem. This time is very different. I have ONE spot that bleeds...and bleeds bad! It started about 10 days before a dentist appointment, so I waited it out. At first I thought that there was something stuck, so I did the swipe with the floss. This of course caused more bleeding, but made me feel like I had at least made an effort. You couldn't really see anything from the front, but it was swollen in the back, and if I bit down wrong on something, I had a mouth full of blood. Sorry for the graphic.
The dentist was impressed with the gusher, as he barely even touched it and it took about 3 minutes to stop the bleeding. While it was more than he had seen before, he wasn't concerned in the slightest. I was told to keep flossing, but normal flossing, no trying to scrape something out, and that could cause the swelling.
This worked for awhile. I was able to floss and brush without making it bleed, but still had to be careful eating. But now the swelling has moved to the front, and it bleeds whenever I brush my teeth. My husband made the comment that I was bleeding, and didn't really think anything of it, until he said it again the other day, and it knew that it wasn't. It was just the lovely bright red swollen gum that he was seeing. I try not to smile in front of people any more and am really self conscious about it.
Here are my questions. Does anyone have sure fire ways to stop the bleeding quickly when it does start? Should I go back to the dentist - I feel like they are just going to say that it is related to pregnancy and send me on my way? Is this more of a doctor rather than a dentist thing? If this wasn't related to pregnancy, does anyone know what the treatment would be?
Thank you all for reading this, and for any advice that you have.
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and suggestions. I think that I wasn't brushing as thoroughly as I should have in that particular area because of the bleeding, even though I was brushing and flossing. I tried to be more thorough yesterday and then got my REAL electric toothbrush out last night instead of the cheap disposable one. I don't use Listerine because of the aspertame, but was able to find a natural mouthwash, and will start using that regularly too. I can already tell that the swelling is going down, and will mention it at my doctor's appointment in two weeks. If it stays like this, or worsens again, I will give them a call earlier and see what they say. Thank you all!
I had one like this when I was pregnant too. it was on the side though. I had to completely avoid touching it for a long time. I didn't floss it and I barely brushed it. I just resorted to using mouthwash too. It finally stopped being so sensitive, but it took a while.
Good luck
E.
I can't say that I have experienced exactly what you are going through, but I did get some pregnancy related gingivitis myself. My dentist told me to use listerine everyday, to help with it. Good luck. Pregnancy sure is fun isn't it?!
I got the 'pregnancy-related' conditions...including gestational periodontal disease (bad gums). I can recommend that you keep with your good flossing and brushing habits. My hygenist put me on a schedule such that I got my teeth cleaned professionally every 4 months, which continues as long as I was nursing. I wouldn't worry about it too much, smile, enjoy your time being pregnant, this is such a special and amazing time, you don't need to worry about smile...its always beautiful if its real!
Talk to your OB when you go to see him/her. They maybe able to help you more then the dentist eventhough it has to do with your mouth. It's not really a tooth thing it's a gums thing. If your OB tells you to see a dentist then go ahead & go, but why spend the extra co-pay to see the dentist again if the OB maybe able to help you.
I talked to my OB about issues I'm having that don't just deal with my tummy area... most of them know more then you would think & if it is pregnancy related it is part of their job to help you with all issues dealing with your pragnancy.
Your body was not the healthiest when you got pregnant. This is similar to gestational diabetes, in that pregnancy is pushing your already taxed system to the limit. You should go to a health food store, like Vitamin Cottage, to talk with their in-store nutritionist. Your baby is taking nutrients from your already challenged body. You should improve your diet and in addition to prenatal vitamins you should be supplementing with Additional vitamins C. You could have a vitamin K and/or D3 deficiency. Ask the nutritionist.
For general family health info check out> http://www.BabyBites.info
I would seek a second opinion of another dentist. Bleeding gums in pregnancy can be very serious. Talk with your OB about it as well!! Call the office and talk with your favorite nurse (I hope you have one, cause I do, she definitely doesn't get paid enough!!!)
Hope that helps some.
V.
I would move your dental cleanings to every 3-4 months instead of every 6 months. Your insurance may not cover the 3rd treatment, so be prepared to pay for it out-of-pocket. However, I believe $80 or so is worth it since inflamed/infected gums (periodontitis) can lead to premature delivery. Pregnancy gingivitis is fairly common condition thanks in increased amounts of estrogen. You just want to make sure gingivitis doesn't progress to periodontal disease. I would brush & floss after each meal. I also had good results with CariFree system (gel & oral rinse): www.carifree.com. Good luck!
Hi Workinmom - you might try googling "pregnancy gingivitis" and see if that helps you any.
Your hormone levels are increasing rapidly and that's what's contributing to the inflammation. When gums are inflamed, it's easy to back off on brushing unconsciously and bacteria in the gums does the rest. Even though this flared because of your pregnancy, your still dealing with gingivitis so the only "cure" is really being meticulous about your oral hygiene to prevent further damage. Moving your cleanings to 3-4 months as one suggested is a really good idea. Continue to floss every day and brush after every meal and be sure to use an anti-bacterial mouthwash like Listerine several times a day - it really helps to swish it around for the 30 seconds like the commercial says. I also found that mouthwash helps with the bleeding, probably because bleeding is one of your body's mechanism to flush out germs in your gums. I also used salt water rinses like for a sore throat when I didnt have any mouthwash with me.
http://www.pregnancy.org/article/pregnancy-gingivitis-wha...
Congratulations and best of all things to you!
Have you eaten any popcorn recently? If a kernal gets caught between your teeth, you may not even know about it until your gums start to bleed a lot more than normal. Bacteria may be growing making matters worse.
That's a tough one! My only thought is to try swishing salt water in your mouth several times per day. It might help to ease the swelling and restore balance in your mouth. If it doesn't resolve in a few days or get worse, I would go back to your dentist. Good luck!
Huh. I can't say I know much about it, but have a couple of suggestions. Have you tried mouthwash? It helps me - I hate it - it hurts terribly, but if I stick with it every day, it slows down the bleeding gums. I think the alchohol in there is good for it. Also, a waterpik. My dentist recommended it during pregnancy because they were afraid I had a little bacteria in one spot that was bleeding all the time. So far I haven't used it long enough to say that it truly helps, but you may want to try it.
