Teeth Taking a Beating During Pregnancy

Hi K.,
I never had problems with teeth chipping but my gums would bleed throughout my pregnancy. You should call your dentist and see if there's anything you can do. My dentist said that bleeding gums can happen during pregnancy. Good luck.
Chris

Off the cuff ideas:
-In general, teeth are a window to our overall health, according to Dr. Weston A Price
-Tooth decay is related to nutrients (and not so much dental hygiene)
-Buy the book Nourishing Traditions
-That's great you are taking calcium and vitamin D
-For minerals to work, you need fat. I would increase your diet with a ton of colorful veggies slathered in lots of real butter (be sure to include dark green veggies).
-Make lots of homemade bone broth. My wife just made some amazing chicken broth using chicken feet (loads of Glucosamine & Chondroitin... at a fraction of the cost of supplements).
-Take enzymes and probiotics to help you digest and assimilate your food (Enzymedia makes good enzymes)
-Eat cod liver oil, lots of it. Yummy!

Lastly:
http://www.westonaprice.org/children/dietformothers.html

Enjoy! :)

Is it possible that you are grinding your teeth (could be due to sleep changes due to pregnancy)? That has caused me to chip teeth. If you are grinding your teeth, you might also notice a sore jaw and or a headache. Teeth grinding can be fixed with a device you wear at night from your dentist.

It is amazing what our bodies will do in order to make sure our babies have what they need to develop properly. A couple of things I've learned from a Wellness 101 class I am taking through a Naturopath in Columbus OH deal with optimizing your overall health. Unless you have been diagnosed deficient in a specific nutrient, you should not take any additional supplements. You are taking your prenatals. Be sure they are of the highest quality and are FOOD based for optimal absorption.

If you feel you need more calcium, start eating more dark leafy green vegetables. Your body gets more absorbable calcium from broccoli, kale and bok choy than it does from milk. You should be eating at least 9 to 13 servings of fruits and veggies each day, as many different varieties as possible. All colors have different nutrients. Some other great superfoods are flax seed for omega 3 fatty acids, green tea (best when eaten) and brewers yeast for the B vitamins.

If you eat a big variety of fruits and veggies, you should be getting all of the micronutrients that you need. But do remember you are eating for 2. You really do need to eat more healthy foods than usual to maintain your health as well as starting your baby with optimal health as well.

I have a couple of CD's and a bunch of information that I've collected through my wellness class. I'd be happy to answer any questions that you might have about diet. I'd also suggest reading the book, The China Study by T Colin Campbell. His research shows that too much animal protein in the diet actually TAKES calcium from the blood. Too much nimal protein creates an acid condition in the body and your body takes the calcium from your bones in order to maintain a slightly alkaline balance in the blood. Americans are known to eat more protein than we need to maintain health.

I also agree that a mouth guard might be helpful, especially if there is chipping. I can't imagine why your dentist didn't suggest it. Might be time for a new dentist.

Good luck and eat as many fruits and veggies as you can, and then eat some more. I look forward to talking to you. In health, D. ###-###-#### or ###-###-#### cell

Could you be grinding your teeth? I've had two periods in my life when I did that and it does a lot of damage. I would ask the dentist if they think you're grinding and get a bite guard if you are. I just got a new one and love it, the ones with hard outside and soft inside are great, you just run it under hot water and it fits like a glove. Hope this helps.

Hi K.,

I had similar, although not quite as drastic. I used a mouth rinse that is for preventative maintenance for gingivitus (sp?). Your dentist should have this available for your use. Or, you can purchase at places like a CVS. the product I took is called cloSYS. It made a world of difference. This may be something you'll want to check into if you haven't already done so.

Although my dentist assures me that it is not true, my teeth also suffered during both my pregnancies. I went my entire life without cavities and then after my daughter was born, i was diagnosed with 4 cavities and another pending. I don't have any suggestions for you, just wanted to share that the myth seems true to me. Good Luck

Dear K., Congratulations on Baby #2!!

It sounds like your body is telling you that you need more Calcium/magnesium/D....The statistics are ok for guidelines but your individual unique needs may be higher.

If you are taking prenatals and you have Calcium in your diet, is it possible that it is in a form that is not being absorbed?

I have some great CDs about amounts and kinds of nutrients...would you like to borrow them?

warmly, M.

I had problems with my teeth also when i was pregnant.. i had one pulled while i was still pregnant and another one after.. i do think that the baby takes alot of the calcium and stuff away from you ...I take care of my teeth also and all the problems with them came while i was pregnant...