Dental Health: Pregnancy Gingivitis and Pregnancy Tumors

Pregnancy causes hormonal changes that increase your risk for developing gingivitis and periodontitis. As a result of varying hormone levels, between 50%-70% of women will develop gingivitis sometime during their pregnancy – a condition called pregnancy gingivitis.

The hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy – especially the increased level of progesterone – may make it easier for certain gingivitis-causing bacteria to grow as well as make gum tissue more sensitive to plaque and exaggerate the body's response to the toxins (poisons) that result from plaque. In fact, if you already have significant gum disease, being pregnant may make it worse.

Signs and Symptoms of Gum Disease in Pregnancy

Most commonly, an increase in gingivitis frequently appears between the second and eighth month of pregnancy. Signs of pregnancy gingivitis range from redder looking gums that bleed a little when brushing teeth, to severe swelling and bleeding of gum tissue.

Tips to Prevent Pregnancy Gingivitis

First, it's especially important to practice good oral hygiene habits, which include brushing at least twice a day, flossing once a day, and using an antimicrobial mouth rinse. If you are due for a professional cleaning, don't skip it simply because you are pregnant. Now more than ever, professional dental cleanings are particularly important.

Gum Disease and Premature Birth

At least a couple of major studies have shown that this is indeed true. Researchers of one study who published their results in The Journal of the American Dental Association found that pregnant women with chronic gum disease were four to seven times more likely to deliver prematurely (before gestational week 37) than mothers with healthy gums. Mothers with the most severe periodontal disease delivered the most prematurely at 32 weeks. The researchers' study did not address if treating gum disease would reduce the risk of preterm birth, adding that more studies need to be conducted to answer this question. Their main findings, however, support the results of another study that also showed that premature, underweight babies were born more often to mothers with periodontal disease.

Pregnancy Tumor

Sometimes a large lump with deep red pinpoint markings on it forms on inflamed gum tissue, usually near the upper gum line. The red lump glistens, may bleed and crust over, and can make eating and speaking difficult and cause discomfort. These growths are called pregnancy tumors and can occur at any time during the course of pregnancy, though they usually occur during the second trimester.

Don't let the term, pregnancy "tumor" worry you. These growths are not cancerous nor can they be spread to others. A pregnancy tumor is an extreme inflammatory reaction to a local irritation (such as food particles or plaque). The tumors occur in up to 10% of pregnant women and often in women who also have pregnancy gingivitis.

Pregnancy tumors are also known by several other names including pyogenic granuloma, granuloma of pregnancy, lobular capillary hemangioma, and pregnancy epulides.