[null, {"document_url": "http://awebb.bangordailynews.com/2017/05/15/home/dental-care-is-safe-and-important-during-pregnancy/", "unformatted_src": "//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_gray_20.png", "src": "http://assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_gray_20.png", "formatted_filename": "pinit fg en rect gray"}, null, {"document_url": "http://awebb.bangordailynews.com/2017/05/15/home/dental-care-is-safe-and-important-during-pregnancy/", "unformatted_src": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdhp/piohqi/Facebook+-+Dental+%26+Pregnancy+BIG.jpg", "src": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdhp/piohqi/Facebook+-+Dental+%26+Pregnancy+BIG.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Facebook   Dental   Pregnancy BIG", "rendered_width": 349, "rendered_height": 181}, null, {"document_url": "http://awebb.bangordailynews.com/2017/05/15/home/dental-care-is-safe-and-important-during-pregnancy/", "unformatted_src": "//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_gray_20.png", "src": "http://assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_gray_20.png", "formatted_filename": "pinit fg en rect gray"}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://awebb.bangordailynews.com/2017/05/15/home/dental-care-is-safe-and-important-during-pregnancy/", "unformatted_src": "//bangordailynews.com/wp-content/themes/bdn/images/bdnmaine_110.png", "src": "http://bangordailynews.com/wp-content/themes/bdn/images/bdnmaine_110.png", "formatted_filename": "bdnmaine", "rendered_width": 60}, null]
If you’re pregnant, or thinking about getting pregnant, I bet one of the last things on your mind is what’s going on in your mouth. You’re worrying about getting time off work and finding childcare. You’re thinking about prenatal visits, the baby’s room, and why you’re so tired all of the time. You’re wondering if it’s a boy or girl, whether you’ll still be sexy after the baby is born, and how you are going to manage with a new little one in your life.

You’re thinking about eating right and taking prenatal vitamins, like your doctor recommended, but you’re not thinking about your oral health.

But here’s the deal: during pregnancy, the mouth matters.

According to the Children’s Dental Health Project, research shows that a woman’s oral health during pregnancy is a good predictor of her newborn’s risk for tooth decay. (Tooth decay can lead to cavities, if it’s not taken care of.) If a mother has the kind of bacteria in her mouth that cause tooth decay, she can pass the bacteria on to her baby. That’s one of the main reasons children end up with cavities later on.

If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, here are four things the Children’s Dental Health Projects recommends you can do to give your newborn a healthy start:

Finding a dentist or paying for it is a challenge in Maine, but there may be help. Talk to your doctor at your next prenatal visit about how to take care of your mouth. Remind your doctor that dental care is safe and important during pregnancy.

Help your child get off to a good start by taking care of your own oral health during pregnancy. That’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about while you’re waiting for the baby to come! Alison Webb 

Follow @Alison Webb@alisonjoneswebb