Gain a Child, Lose a Tooth?

Have you ever heard the expression “Gain a child, lose a tooth”? Well, it may not be something you hear every day, but as your West Hills dentist, it’s an expression we’ve heard from time to time. And our patients often ask us if there’s any truth to the idea. Here’s the premise: along with many changes a woman’s body undergoes during the pregnancy process, many believe that tooth loss will be one of them, and 20% of women believe they will lose a tooth occurring to a study released in 2005. So is it true or is this just another urban legend?

Maybe not so much. According to multiple studies that have been conducted over the many years a correlation has indeed been found between pregnancy and tooth loss. This is likely due to a woman having lower calcium levels during pregnancy in addition to changes in hormone levels. These factors on their own aren’t enough to cause tooth loss but, for a mother whose dental health may be less than ideal, it can certainly exacerbate certain issues. In the meantime, as an experienced West Hills orthodontist, our recommendation is to keep those checkups dental checkups going during pregnancy. And don’t forget to visit us again when the baby is born. We’re also a leading children's dentist in West Hills!