As if women don’t have enough discomfort to suffer through during pregnancy — bad breath and pregnancy are directly linked.

During pregnancy, levels of the hormones progesterone and estrogen fluctuate and have various affects on the body that can result in bad breath. This hormone flux causes an increase in the production of plaque on your teeth. Since plaque contains sulfur producing bacteria, the result is bad breath. So here we have a direct link between pregnancy and bad breath.

Pregnancy related plaque production also has an adverse affect on gum tissue, leading to what is commonly referred to as pregnancy gingivitis, another source of bad breath. This general irritation may lead to more serious types of periodontal diseases, or infections, of the deeper gum tissues. This bacteria that builds up deep within the gums also gives off the sulfurous odor of bad breath. This establishes another link between pregnancy and bad breath.

Less commonly known is the fact that pregnant women are at a higher risk for developing tumors on their irritated gum tissue. While these tumors are almost always benign and usually shrink after the pregnancy is over, they do present a short term problem by interfering with proper dental hygiene that can keep bad breath at bay. Food particles and plaque can build up in the crevices around these tumors, becoming perfect little factories for producing the chemicals that cause bad breath. Yet another link establishing pregnancy and bad breath can be related.

Morning sickness has long been recognized as a leading factor contributing to bad breath in pregnant women. Rising hormone levels trigger chemical reactions in the brain that cause the pregnant woman to feel nauseous. This often results in vomiting, which causes it’s own very special brand of bad breath. Stomach acids and partially digested food particles are expelled upward and out through the mouth. The noxious smells of these materials cling in the mouth causing a bad breath smell. Rinsing the mouth to remove the particles and cut down on the bad breath is recommended over brushing the teeth right away. The stomach acid temporarily softens the tooth enamel and brushing too hard may remove it, leaving teeth more susceptible to tooth decay, another cause of bad breath. Just one more link in the chain between pregnancy and bad breath.

A slowdown in a pregnant woman’s digestive system may also lead to accumulated gas in the stomach which is expelled by burping. This is a short term source of sour or bad breath for many pregnant women.

So there we have it, five distinct links between pregnancy and bad breath. Women should consult with their dentist if they notice persistent bad breath during their pregnancies. Bad breath is likely a sign of an underlying oral problem.