Why Your Mouth Tastes Like Metal
Oral Health Oral Health # Why Your Mouth Tastes Like Metal It turns up before a period, in early pregnancy, and again in perimenopause. Three different life stages, one shared explanation. A metallic or bitter taste with no obvious source is disconcerting, partly because there is nothing to point at. Nothing looks wrong. Food simply […]
Hormonal Gingivitis: Why Puberty Shows Up in the Gums
Oral Health Oral Health # Hormonal Gingivitis: Why Puberty Shows Up in the Gums If your daughter’s gums started bleeding around the time everything else started changing, that is not a coincidence and it is almost certainly not her brushing. Most parents arrive at this having already had the conversation about brushing better. Sometimes several […]
Why Your Gums Bleed Around Your Period
Oral Health Oral Health # Why Your Gums Bleed Around Your Period It has a name, it follows a predictable pattern, and almost nobody is told it exists. It is called menstrual gingivitis. If your gums swell and bleed in the days before your period and settle once it arrives, you have probably wondered whether […]
A Trimester-by-Trimester Guide to Dental Care in Pregnancy
Oral Health Oral Health # A Trimester-by-Trimester Guide to Dental Care in Pregnancy What to expect and what to do at each stage, from before conception through the months after. The short version: keep your appointments, and tell us where you are. Most pregnancy dental advice is either alarmist or so cautious it amounts to […]
When Pregnancy Gingivitis Starts, and When It Stops
Oral Health Oral Health # When Pregnancy Gingivitis Starts, and When It Stops It typically begins around the second month, peaks near the eighth, and eases after delivery. Knowing that in advance takes most of the worry out of it. If your gums started bleeding and nothing about your routine changed, the timing alone is […]
Is Dental Anesthesia Safe During Pregnancy?
Oral Health Oral Health # Is Dental Anesthesia Safe During Pregnancy? Local anesthetic for dental treatment is generally considered safe during pregnancy, and declining it is usually the worse choice. Here is why, and what to discuss with your OB. This question comes up more than almost any other from expectant patients, and it often […]
Can You Get a Filling While Pregnant?
Oral Health Oral Health # Can You Get a Filling While Pregnant? Yes. Necessary dental treatment during pregnancy is generally considered safe, and leaving an active cavity untreated usually carries more risk than treating it. That is the short answer, and we want it first, because most people asking this question are worried and have […]
Perimenopause Is Doing Things to Your Teeth Nobody Warned You About
Oral Health Oral Health # Perimenopause Is Doing Things to Your Teeth Nobody Warned You About Hot flashes and sleep get discussed. The mouth almost never does, which is why these changes tend to arrive without explanation. Most women find their way here one symptom at a time. A sore tongue. Gums that suddenly bleed. […]
Does Menopause Dry Mouth Ever Go Away?
Oral Health Oral Health # Does Menopause Dry Mouth Ever Go Away? The honest answer is usually no, not on its own. The more useful answer is that it does not have to stay this uncomfortable, and comfort is not the main reason to address it. Most women asking this question have already tried drinking […]
The Medications and Deficiencies Behind Burning Mouth
Oral Health Oral Health # The Medications and Deficiencies Behind Burning Mouth Two of the most common contributors to a burning mouth are also the two most commonly overlooked. Both are straightforward to check. When someone arrives with a burning tongue and a stack of normal test results, there are two questions we ask that […]