Dental Care During Pregnancy
Yes. It is a good idea to engage a dentist for your dental health. Now that you are pregnant, it is important to look after your oral health to help prevent any dental problems such as severe gum disease or tooth decay. Be sure to book a dental appointment for further dental treatment, unless you have had one recently.
Pregnant Women are More at Risk When It Comes to Oral Health
Pregnancy hormones can affect your dental health in many different ways. It can result in increased blood flow in the mucous membranes, including around the teeth.
Dental problems in pregnancy can result in:
- Bleeding gums
- Pain
- Bad breath or bad taste in the mouth
- Receding gums
- Sensitive teeth or gums
- A buildup of plaque
- Increased bacteria around teeth
- Gingivitis (inflammation and bleeding of gums)
- Infection of gums and supporting structures
- Gum overgrowth/swellings
- Tooth decay
- Severe gum disease
- Cavities
- Tooth loss
These are found to be much more common in pregnancy.
During pregnancy, oral health has a large roll to play as there have been studies which have linked poor dental condition with premature labour and low birth weight babies, therefore it is advised that pregnant women keep up to date with their dental treatment to look after oral health.
X-Rays and Pregnancy
When it comes to dental health, sometimes pregnant women are required to have dental x-rays to check for deeper dental problems such as gum disease. If this is the case, alert your dentist of your pregnancy and if an x-ray is needed there should be shielding of the abdomen with a lead apron.
Dental Treatment in Pregnancy
When it comes to oral health, procedures such as teeth cleaning, descaling, filling cavities, and tooth extraction are generally safe during pregnancy. If there is extensive dental treat needed to fix dental problems such as root canal therapy then please talk with me first. Local anaesthetics are safe. Most antibiotics are safe. Again if your dentist is concerned, ask him to get in contact with me first and we can discuss further options that are going to benefit you and your overall oral health.