Pregnancy and Dental Issues

I thought some of you may be interested on the subject of cavities and pregnancy.  A lot of people think that your body draws things from everywhere in order to grow and maintain a healthy placenta and baby.  While this is in part true, nutrients or calcium do not come from your teeth.  If there is increases in cavities the only explanation is from increased acidity in your mouth due to vomiting-morning sickness.  I asked my dentist and he confirmed my findings.  I found a peer reviewed article on the California Dental Association's web site.  In the feature article: Women's Oral Health Issues, it says:

Pregnancy

The popular notions that pregnancy causes tooth loss ("a tooth for every pregnancy") and that calcium is withdrawn in significant amounts from the maternal dentition to supply fetal requirements have no histologic, chemical, or roentgenographic evidence to support them. Calcium is present in the teeth in a stable crystalline form and, as such, is not available to the systemic circulation to supply a calcium demand. However, calcium is readily mobilized from bone to supply these demands.

There you have it!  Luckily, if you breastfeed your baby, you lower your risk of Osteoporosis later in life and your bones come back from pregnancy and nursing stronger than before.  Thanks, baby!