How Your Dental Health Can Affect Your Unborn Child
©Carolyn Schweitzer 2012
She has her mother’s hair and her father’s eyes. But what will determine her oral health?
The answers may surprise you. Recent studies show that forty to sixty percent of school age children in the United States have gingivitis, the mildest form of periodontal disease.
Gingivitis is marked by inflamed gums and is a natural reaction to harmful bacteria in the mouth. Fortunately it’s easily managed with proper brushing and flossing and regular dental checkups.
But when gingivitis goes unchecked it can progress into adult periodontal disease. Gums pull away from teeth and supporting bone is lost. Infection sets in. In its advanced stages, periodontal disease (or periodontitis) results in tooth loss.
The progress of periodontitis is typically slow which is why its’ more serious effects appear in adulthood. By the time it reaches this stage, it’s a chronic inflammatory condition with broader health implications.
A Problem Of Epidemic Proportions
Periodontal disease affects approximately 80% of the adult US population, a country considered to be “teeth obsessed”. In countries where dental care gets less emphasis, the figure is even higher. The likelihood that your child will grow up with gum disease is strongly influenced by the oral health of both parents.
How Periodontitis Affects Pregnancy
There’s a known link between mothers with periodontal disease and preterm, lower birth weight babies. Older moms are especially at risk, since the more serious symptoms of periodontal disease typically don’t appear until one’s mid-thirties to early forties.
This coincides precisely with what doctors refer to as “advanced maternal age”. Any woman considering becoming pregnant should have herself screened for periodontal disease; but especially if she falls in this more “advanced” age range.
How Parents Affect Their Children
Babies aren’t born with the bacteria responsible for cavities and gum disease, they get them from mom and dad. The bacteria are passed directly from you to your children by way of your saliva. Spouses can infect each other the same way.
Each time we kiss our babies, share eating utensils, or use a damp fingertip to wipe a smudge off his or her face, we’re passing along tiny organisms that live in our mouths.
Genetics is a factor too. Not everyone has the same susceptibility. You can carry the bacteria that cause periodontitis but never develop symptoms. This tendency is inherited; so if one or both parents have a history of periodontal disease, their children are more likely to be affected.
Older Moms At Risk
Chronic inflammation in the mouth affects more than just your teeth.
Where overall health is concerned, inflammation is enemy number one. It’s a factor in conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. The connection between periodontal disease and these other ailments has been established and is still being researched.
If you’re an older mom and want to be around for your kids for a long time, it goes without saying – take care of your teeth and gums.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Gingivitis is simple to detect and easily reversed with proper oral hygiene. Periodontal disease is more like diabetes: it’s never “cured” but rather managed and controlled.
By eliminating infection and making it easier to keep your teeth and gums clean and infection -free, you can keep periodontitis at bay. Methods may include deep cleanings, surgical intervention, antibiotics, and special home care routines.
The better you care for yourself the better it is for your kids. Not only is it less likely you’ll pass along disease-promoting bacteria, but by example, you’ll be showing your kids the importance of good oral health.
It’s important that you have yourself screened. See your general dentist or a periodontist. You can also assess your risk by taking this one minute test: http://www.perio.org/consumer/4a.html#
