Pregnancy brings a long list of changes to your body, and some of them show up in unexpected places. Your mouth is one of them. Hormonal shifts during pregnancy can make your gums more sensitive, swollen, and prone to bleeding. This condition is so common that it has its own name: pregnancy gingivitis. It affects up to 75% of pregnant women at some point during their pregnancy, and it usually shows up between the second and eighth month of pregnancy.
How Pregnancy Hormones Change Your Oral Health
During pregnancy, your body produces higher levels of progesterone and estrogen. These hormones are essential for supporting your baby’s growth, but they also increase blood flow to your gum tissue. That extra blood flow can make your gums more reactive to plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that naturally builds up on your teeth throughout the day.
When your gums overreact to plaque that might not have bothered them before, they can become red, puffy, and tender. You might notice bleeding when you brush or floss. Some women also develop a small, round growth on their gums called a pregnancy granuloma or pyogenic granuloma. These are not dangerous and usually go away after delivery, but your dentist should check if one appears.
Why Gum Health Matters During Pregnancy
Bleeding gums might seem like a minor annoyance, but untreated gum disease during pregnancy has been linked to some serious concerns. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology and other peer-reviewed sources has found associations between periodontal disease in pregnant women and an increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight.
