Dentist says she can tell patients are PREGNANT just by looking inside their mouths

A dentist has revealed how she can tell her patients are pregnant during an examination — and it’s all about the gums. 

Sukhmani Singh, who is known as @thatdentalgal on TikTok, opened up about the telltale sign in the third installment of her ongoing video series ‘Things your dentist can tell about you just by looking in your mouth.’

‘Your dentist may be able to tell that you are pregnant,’ she explained. ‘This is not only due to the nausea and enamel erosion but due to something called pregnancy gingivitis.’

She explained that many expecting moms develop pregnancy gingivitis, an inflammation of the gums caused by hormonal changes

Pregnancy gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums caused by hormonal changes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

The surge of hormones can make the gums more susceptible to the build up of plaque, which can accumulate along the gum line and lead to gingivitis. 

‘Gums become more inflamed, tender, and prone to bleeding,’ Singh explained of the symptoms that can indicate pregnancy gingivitis. 

‘Did you know this?’ she asked in the caption. 

Singh shared that ‘gums become more inflamed, tender, and prone to bleeding.’ Without treatment, the gums can become infected and teeth can loosen

Singh’s video has been viewed more than 714,000 times since it was posted in May 2021, and some viewers were understandably shocked.

‘Okay um I noticed my gums bleeding like three weeks ago, but I also changed the head on my electric toothbrush. I’m freaking out now,’ one TikTok user wrote in the comments. 

‘I’m scared,’ someone else admitted. ‘My gums are like balloons in some places and my dentist didn’t say a word about it…’

Another added: ‘Not me checking my teeth in the mirror after watching this video.’ 

Periodontitis, a severe gum infection that can lead to tooth loss, has been associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, though the connection is not yet fully understood

Singh advises people who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant to talk to their dentist about keeping their gingivitis or periodontitis ‘well-controlled’

Others commenters shared how they had similar issues with their gums and teeth when they were pregnant. 

‘My gums bled so much during pregnancy!!’ one woman recalled. ‘During my cleaning they were extra careful because even the smallest touch caused so much bleeding!’ 

Another TikTok user said she is newly pregnant and ‘can’t eat or drink anything hot’ because her ‘gums are so sore.’ 

‘I’m trying for a baby and my dentist told me today that she believes I’m pregnant… I hope she’s right!!!’ someone else noted. 

Singh’s video has been viewed more than 714,000 times since it was posted in May 2021, and some viewers were understandably shocked

The CDC estimates that nearly 60 to 75 percent of pregnant women have gingivitis. Without treatment, the gums can become infected and teeth can loosen. 

Periodontitis, a severe gum infection that can lead to tooth loss, has been associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, though the connection is not yet fully understood. 

‘Some studies have shown that pregnant women with periodontitis are at a greater risk of delivering low birth weight [and] pre-term babies,’ Singh explained in a previous video. 

‘Scientists think the cause of this is that periodontitis can increase the amount of prostaglandins that are circulating in your body. Prostaglandins play a key role in the delivery process and telling the body its time to give birth.’

Singh advises people who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant to talk to their dentist about keeping their gingivitis or periodontitis ‘well-controlled and well-managed.’