I was one of the lucky ones; pregnancy was very kind to me, all things considered. Until the very end, and in one department only....dental.
I've had moderately good teeth my entire life; experiencing a few cavities due to my own poor oral hygiene practices. I HATE teeth and everything involved with them. Hate brushing them, flossing them, and despise trips to the dentist. Fluoride? Yuck!
As a child, I had a lot of crowding issues with my teeth, which placed me in an expander in elementary school to do exactly what it suggests, expand the spaces between my teeth. Every night my mother would have to take a little key and turn it to expand my teeth just a little bit more. Yes, it was as uncomfortable as it sounded, and you can imagine how I became increasingly bitter about anything related to my teeth. After a couple years of the expander, it was removed and replaced with a full set of braces, which I rocked for three years (as hard as you can rock braces).
I now have retainers that I am supposed to be wearing nightly to ensure my nicely straight teeth stay in their required positions (honestly, I don't even know where the thing is).
In the past year I started to grind my teeth at night (I've always clenched my teeth, especially when I'm stressed, so this progression didn't really shock me), and I now have to wear a night guard when I sleep to prevent me from grinding my teeth down to nubs. Looking to 'get some' before bed? These things are "shuper shexy!" Not to mention they've taken my drooling problem to a WHOLE new level of grossness.
When I found out I was pregnant I went in for my 6 month check-up and clean, and the hygienist cautioned me that I would probably notice an increase in gingivitis with pregnancy (which is very normal) and just to continue flossing etc.
So I did just that; I carried on as normal. I guess the problem with that was, normal for me is brushing my teeth once a day (gag away), and I rarely floss (perhaps after a piece corn on the cob or a tough steak, I could be bothered).
My next cleaning fell just a month before Brooklyn arrived. As the hygienist scaled my teeth and examined them she came across a dreaded cavity...between my two front teeth! The dentist mentioned that cavities are more common during pregnancy, but my hygienist tactfully remarked that daily flossing probably most likely would've prevented this problem. Because of the pregnancy I was unable to get radiographs done to check my other teeth for cavities, and to determine the depth of this cavity. We scheduled my filling appointment for 2 weeks after my due date, and I left the office, quite sullen.
So I begrudgingly dragged my shameful ass to the dentist this past Monday to get my cavities filled. Besides the fact that I hate the dentist, and their annoying little drills and bibs, this would also be the first time I was away from Brooklyn for more than 15 minutes since her birth. Rest assured, she was left in the capable hands of her Daddy, with a belly full of milk and a clean diaper.
By the time I arrived at the dentist (it's about 10 minutes from our home) I was headed for emotional derailment and just wanted to return home to my daughter. Halfway through the procedure I thought I might burst into tears I missed her so much, which was only made worse when the dentist announced that I had FOUR other teeth (pairs side by side) that were displaying some decay on my radiographs, and due to the deceptive depth of this cavity, he wanted to fix all those teeth rather than monitor them. This means that I get to go back into my favorite place in the world in 3 weeks to get several more fillings done. By the time I got home I was bitchy, emotionally unstable and upon Brooklyn's first 'coo' my milk letdown and proceeded to soak through my shirt in a matter of seconds. Icing on the cake of awesomeness that was my day....
Looking back I wish I had been warned more thoroughly about the possible effects of pregnancy on my teeth, but truly that's just me passing the blame. I am well aware of what constitutes good oral health, and I have just chosen not to do everything in my power to keep my teeth healthy and cavity free. You can bet your ass that I started flossing nightly after the discovery of the first cavity, and will continue to until the day I die. It is especially important to me now that I have a daughter who will be watching everything I do and following my lead. Do I want my little girl's mouth riddled with cavities like mine? Not a chance.
Learn from my mistakes and laziness. Floss your damn teeth! 2 minutes a night could save you a lot of time, pain and money!
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