Periodontitis (gum disease) is associated with a higher risk of premature birth, low birth weight and preeclampsia, and pregnancy itself changes the gums. Before trying, get a professional cleaning, a gum evaluation, and any treatments, extractions and X-rays done. The good news: 90% of problems are solved in 1 or 2 dental visits if done before pregnancy.
Oral health is one of the two areas the book calls frequently forgotten, yet able to compromise the entire pregnancy. Gum disease is associated with a higher risk of premature birth, low birth weight and preeclampsia.
Pregnancy also changes the gums. Pregnancy gingivitis is common, and it worsens conditions that were already there. On top of that, complex dental treatments are harder during pregnancy. That is why the book's advice is to resolve it beforehand: afterward it gets harder.
The book's list is short and concrete. Take it to your dentist as it is:
Gums that bleed when you brush are a warning sign, not normal. If it happens to you, the periodontal evaluation is the item on this list not to skip.
Why is this so underestimated? Because dentists and gynecologists usually don't talk to each other. The TTC woman thinks “that's a future problem”, and finds out too late. Found during pregnancy, a dental problem meets gums that pregnancy is already changing, treatments that are harder to do and X-rays that can't be taken. Found before, 90% of it is solved in one or two visits.
The book closes that gap by treating the dentist as part of preconception. The dental evaluation is the 11th of its 11 preconception tests, and it can be done at any time. The first month of its 90-day plan includes booking a dental cleaning if needed, and the final checklist for Station I asks for “dental cleaning + pending treatments done” before you move on.
Dental care is the second half of Chapter 11 of Map to the Positive, “Vaccines and dental care”, in Station I (Foundation). Around it, the station gives you a 20-minute self-assessment, the 11 preconception tests, smart supplementation, the real detox of alcohol, caffeine and tobacco, and the preconception visit with a printable question script. It is the part of the map that settles the basics before you start trying.
Take 30 days. If it does not give you more clarity than everything you have read for free so far, ask for a refund and you get every cent back. We cannot promise you a pregnancy. We can promise you will not be guessing.