Don't Ignore Your Dentist - Oral Health Can Affect Fertility

The last thing I want to do this morning is go to my 10 a.m. dentist appointment. I could list the many reasons this is a total inconvenience, especially since I completely forgot about it until a call late Friday afternoon.

Or, I could suck it up and take care of my teeth and gums with the new understanding that poor dental hygiene results in so much more than stinky breath. A recent preconception article entitled, "Flossing for Fertility" over at iParenting.com elaborates:

Recent research is providing some fascinating, albeit preliminary, indications that oral health is impacted negatively by some infertility treatments, and poor oral hygiene may actually be a factor in infertility...

"There seems to be a direct correlation between the rise in the levels of progesterone and estrogen and the level of gingival inflammation," says Dr. [Cenk] Haytac. "Gingiva is a target tissue for estrogen, since it contains specific high-affinity estrogen receptors."

And just because you get pregnant doesn't mean you can toss your floss. Dr. Amos at www.babymed.com says,

Preventive dental cleanings and annual exams during pregnancy are not only safe, but are recommended. The rise in hormone levels during pregnancy causes the gums to swell, bleed, and trap food causing increased irritation to your gums. Recent studies have shown an association between poor dental conditions and pregnancy complications such as preterm delivery and low birthweight babies. Preventive dental work is essential to avoid oral infections such as gum disease, which has been linked to preterm birth.

Guys, you're not off the brush, either. Especially if you've had a history of subfertility. This Q&A at iVillage.com cites the following studies:

Bieniek et al., (1993) found that the presence of bacteria in sperm was eliminated when dental cleanings and directed antibiotic therapy were both prescribed. Improvement in sperm motility, morphology and density has also been noted after subfertile males participated in regular dental cleanings (Ensslen et al. 1990).

With all of that in mind, I think I'm going to go brush. Again.

Gabrielle shares all the news your womb can use daily at www.fertilitynotes,com.

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