Stacey Solomon: pregnancy 'destroyed' my teeth
'In the first few months of my second pregnancy I was seeing the dentist more than my midwife'
Lots of strange things can happen to your body when you're pregnant: your hair can get thicker, your skin can either 'glow' or you can get adult acne.
And even your teeth and gums can be affected too, as celeb mum of 2 Stacey Solomon discovered when she was pregnant with her youngest son, Leighton.
"In the first few months of my 2nd pregnancy I was seeing the dentist more than my midwife. I endured problem after problem," Stacey revealed in her Fabulous column in The Sun.
"Up until that point, I’d never even had a filling and, all of a sudden, I was being drilled into left, right and centre.
"My teeth turned a funny colour, I had to have some removed as they were so damaged, and I was soon full of fillings."
Stacey adds that her teeth were super-sensitive to anything too hot or too cold and that, 4 months into pregnancy, her teeth were left decayed and brown.
So is the old wives' tale about losing a tooth when pregnant actually true?
Stacey's story suggests there is some truth in the old wives' tale that you gain a pregnancy and lose a tooth – and here at MFM HQ we have one team member who lost a tooth when pregnant and another who says she has a tooth that started wobbling severely when she was pregnant 7 years ago and it hasn't stopped wobbling since!
Some of the mums in our MadeForMums community have had a similar experience, too, for example, Sally says:
"I didn't think there was any truth in the old wives' tale that you lose a tooth for every baby but in the last week, 2 of my teeth have broken.
"I've only ever had one filling and really try to take care of them so am a bit miffed and beginning to wonder if it's pregnancy related."
How does pregnancy affect your teeth?
The health of your teeth is closely related to the health of your gums - and in pregnancy, hormones can inflame your gums and lead to gingivitis - which can in turn affect your teeth.
A spokesperson at the British Dental Association told us:
"Some women get swollen and sore gums, which may bleed, in pregnancy. Bleeding gums are caused by a build-up of plaque (bacteria) on the teeth.
"Hormonal changes during pregnancy can make your gums more vulnerable to plaque, leading to inflammation and bleeding."
They go onto to suggest you should:
- clean your teeth carefully twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste
- reduce your sugar intake - keeping sugary treats to mealtimes only
- visit the dentist regularly.
In addition, if you have morning sickness which includes nausea and vomiting, try and remember to rinse your mouth with water after each time you vomit. This will help prevent the acid in your vomit attacking your teeth.
Free dental care when you're pregnant
The good news is you are entitled to free dental care when you're pregnant - you'll need to show your MATB1 or MatEx form (you can find out more about these on the NHS website).
And we reckon it's well worth taking advantage of the free care: Stacey went on to have some pretty extensive - and we're guessing probably quite pricey - dental work, so if you can get treated sooner rather than later to help keep your smile intact, all the better.
Pic: Stacey Solomon on Instagram
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Authors
Tara is mum to 1 daughter, Bodhi Rae, and has worked as Content Editor and Social Media Producer at MadeForMums since 2015
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