September 11, 2014
Wives Tales that are the Real Deal #18: Newborn Babies and Teeth
Here's a wives' tale I've never heard before:
Gain a child, lose a tooth.
This wives' tale suggests that mothers lose a tooth with each new baby born, an interesting one that was proven mostly true.
The College of Dentistry at New York University conducted a study, involving over 2,500 women. Interestingly enough, the study discovered that the mother's risk of losing teeth increases as the number of children increases. To add to that, mothers with more children also had a greater risk of developing gum disease.
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Source: www.slate.com[/caption]
One possible reason that this happens is due to the strain that pregnancy places on the woman's body. During pregnancy, much of the nutrients go to the developing fetus, and calcium is one of the nutrients sapped over the nine months. In fact, some women even develop osteoporosis during their pregnancy.
Seeing as teeth need calcium, it stands to reason that calcium deficiencies during pregnancy COULD lead to teeth decay and eventual teeth loss…
Source: www.slate.com[/caption]
One possible reason that this happens is due to the strain that pregnancy places on the woman's body. During pregnancy, much of the nutrients go to the developing fetus, and calcium is one of the nutrients sapped over the nine months. In fact, some women even develop osteoporosis during their pregnancy.
Seeing as teeth need calcium, it stands to reason that calcium deficiencies during pregnancy COULD lead to teeth decay and eventual teeth loss…