There are many fertility tips out there. However teeth flossing is usually not one of them!
Surprisingly, untreated oral diseases can contribute to infertility and poor pregnancy outcomes. Sadly a woman in the US recently gave birth to a stillborn baby who died as a result of the mother’s gingivitis. A gum bleeding condition caused by bacteria which is easily preventable and treatable.
Speaking of infections…
Any infection in the body can damage the baby at any stage of the pregnancy. Women’s immune system’s are slightly suppressed during pregnancy to prevent the immune system from attacking the embryo – which strictly speaking is a foreign body.
Opportunistic bacteria, viruses and other pathogens can seize this opportunity and proliferate in the body.
Therefore it’s of utmost importance to prepare for your pregnancy and to check if you have any minor infections in your body. This includes STDs which can oftentimes be asymptomatic. Your gynecologist, GP and dentist can run the necessary tests for you.
Six fertility tips – How to keep you teeth and mouth infection free
- Teeth brushing twice daily is not enough to keep gingivitis away. The bacteria can accumulate between your teeth in the areas which are hard to reach with your tooth brush. You need to floss regularly, preferably every night.
- Get a waxed dental floss or dental tape as they clean the best. Not only can they remove the plaque and food between your teeth but also some discoloration which forms over time.
- Use a tongue cleaner/scraper. Your tongue is another place bacteria like to reside on, so you should aim to clean it every night.
- Make sure that you use fluoride free toothpaste. Fluoride has been linked to infertility by interfering with thyroid function. Poor thyroid function can lead to PCOS, endometriosis, infertility, weight gain, irregular cycles, miscarriages, depression, hair loss and many more unpleasant symptoms.
- Ideally you should aim to brush your teeth after breakfast, lunch and dinner. At night also scrape your tongue with the special tongue scraper you can buy at your chemist/pharmacy. Then floss you teeth and give it once over with your tooth brush to make sure all flossed particles have been removed. If you don’t know how to floss you teeth watch this video: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-floss-teeth
Keeping your teeth and mouth sparkly clean will not only improve your fertility but also your dental health which means less visits to the dentist and more money in your pocket!
How did you like today’s fertility tips? I would love to hear your thoughts! Do you floss regularly? Are you using fluoride free toothpaste?
© 2010 Iva Keene and Natural Fertility Prescription
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