Dental hygiene and treatment in pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman’s body rebuilds and adapts to carry the unborn baby. This affects many aspects of life. The changes are not only in hormonal background, eating behavior, physical activity and emotional state, but also in health maintenance.

It is widely believed that pregnancy can greatly affect the health of teeth, as the child “takes away” from the mother calcium, which is necessary for building and strengthening bone tissue. It is also believed that dental treatment during pregnancy can harm the baby.

In this article, we will take a comprehensive look at what is true and what is a misconception, how to treat and care for your teeth during pregnancy, and how to keep them healthy and the health of your future baby.

Impact of pregnancy on dental health

Indeed, during pregnancy, calcium deficiency is common, especially critical in the case of toxemia, which does not allow you to fill the lack of calcium with food. The concentration of calcium and phosphorus in the saliva of the pregnant woman decreases, which leads to vulnerability to tooth enamel decay, and hormonal restructuring of the body leads to a general decrease in immunity. This is the reason why dental problems are quite common during pregnancy.

Ideally, it is desirable to put in order all the teeth (sanitation) at the stage of planning pregnancy, and directly during the carrying of the child especially carefully monitor hygiene and more often than usual to visit the dentist for preventive examinations.

Dental care during pregnancy

Experts unequivocally recommend to closely monitor your diet – it is necessary to avoid sweets as much as possible, it is worth increasing the consumption of calcium-rich dairy products, fresh vegetables and non-acidic fruits. A healthy diet is good not only for your teeth, but also for the future child.

During pregnancy, it is recommended to visit the dentist at least two or three times for preventive purposes. It is also necessary to have professional hygiene with a specialist – this procedure is absolutely safe for the health of mom and baby, and at the same time greatly reduces the likelihood of dental caries.

It also makes sense to have enamel fluoridation to strengthen your teeth.

During pregnancy, you need to pay special attention to home oral care – not only brush your teeth at least twice a day, but also do not forget about flossing and irrigator to remove food debris.

If toxemia prevents you from brushing your teeth, make sure you use mouthwash after every meal.
Don’t neglect these simple recommendations, they will help you keep your teeth healthy.

Dental treatment during pregnancy

Not only the fact of pregnancy itself, but also the term of pregnancy affects the specifics of planning and carrying out any dental procedures. Treatment approaches differ in the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

It is very important to make an appointment for a consultation without delay at the first appearance of symptoms of inflammation or other oral diseases. During pregnancy, diseases can run rampant, so do not delay in any case, and immediately consult a doctor

First trimester (up to and including 12 weeks)

In the first trimester, the placenta does not yet sufficiently protect the fetus from the influence of external factors, and it is during this period that all the vital organs of the child begin to form, so it is very important to take this into account when choosing drugs and treatment methods. It is especially worth noting that painkillers should be avoided during this period.

In the first trimester, only non-invasive treatments are favored

Be sure to tell your doctor at your appointment that you are pregnant, as there is no way the doctor can visually guess that you are pregnant.

• Surgery, implantation, anesthesia, and administration of medications are not allowed with few exceptions
• It is possible to gently treat caries at the initial stage, filling of small areas, which can be carried out without anesthesia
• Preventive hygiene, ultrasonic cleaning recommended

Serious dental treatment in the first trimester is only possible in exceptional cases: in cases of purulent inflammation due to pulpitis and periodontitis. The potential danger to the health of the fetus in these diseases is much higher than in anesthesia.

Second trimester (13-24 weeks inclusive)

The safest and most favorable period for dental treatment is during pregnancy. It is still worth avoiding surgery unless absolutely necessary, but it is quite possible and safe to treat teeth. In many cases, if tooth decay detected in the first trimester can “wait”, the treatment is postponed to the second trimester

Third trimester (from 24 weeks of pregnancy)

In the third trimester, dental treatment is performed only in case of acute conditions that pose a risk to the health of the woman and the fetus. This is a difficult period for the female body, which experiences serious stress in connection with carrying the fetus. Also restrictions in therapeutic measures are associated with increased susceptibility of the placenta to the effects of external factors.
Therefore, all routine activities and procedures, if possible, should be postponed until after the baby is born.

The most important limitation and contraindication is the threat of pregnancy termination. If there is no such potential danger, any acute, urgent and potentially dangerous dental or oral diseases can be treated at any stage of pregnancy

What you should not do when you are pregnant

• Bleaching

  In pregnancy, whitening can harm enamel weakened by calcium deficiency, so it is worth refraining from this procedure for the entire period of carrying the baby

• Computerized tomography (CT scan)

  Radiation from the CT scanner can have an adverse effect on the fetus, so this procedure is performed only in exceptional cases, when it is impossible to do without it.

• Implants and prosthetics

  These procedures require CT scans and anesthesia. Most of these procedures require concomitant medication. The grafting (integration) of implants with calcium deficiency and hormonal changes in the body will be much worse. The risk of rejection increases significantly.
  Therefore, such treatment should be delayed until after the birth of the child.
  Of course, the above does not apply to removable prosthetics, which cannot harm the fetus in any way. It is also allowed to use implants that were placed before pregnancy.

• Tooth extraction

  Any planned tooth extraction should be postponed until after birth, as tooth extraction during pregnancy is highly discouraged. The decision to extract a tooth should be made only in extreme cases – in case of acute pain, inflammatory process and when it is completely impossible to restore the tooth.

• Anesthesia

  Strict contraindications apply to anesthesia and a number of drugs for local anesthesia. If necessary, it is worth using new generation drugs (e.g., ultracaine), which do not cross the protective placental barrier, do not affect the intrauterine blood flow, have a small concentration of vasoconstrictors and are safe for the baby.

• Orthodontic treatment

  It is not advisable to start orthodontic treatment during pregnancy, but in most cases it is not necessary to interrupt the treatment already started. If the child’s mother had braces installed before pregnancy, the treatment can be continued. The only thing is that it is necessary to pay even more attention to hygiene and monitoring the state of enamel.

Frequently Asked Questions Is it worth enduring a toothache to avoid treatment during pregnancy?

Absolutely not! Go to the doctor immediately, regardless of the time frame. In addition to the fact that it is harmful to tolerate pain, take into account that the tooth hurts for a reason. There may be an inflammatory process that poses a direct threat to your health and the health of your baby. Pregnancy does not prevent you from getting the care and treatment you need

Is it okay to take dental x-rays when pregnant?

X-rays are not allowed in the first trimester. Then, if necessary, X-rays can be done, of course, with the observance of all precautions: the abdominal area is covered with a lead apron, the time of stay in the X-ray room is limited.

City Smile Medical Center has a state-of-the-art digital X-ray, which has a radiation dose more than 10 times lower than that of a standard film X-ray, so the risk of adverse effects is negligible

Besides hygiene and diet, what other methods are there to strengthen your teeth during pregnancy?

In many cases, it is recommended to take special vitamin complexes, but do not self-medicate – the appointment of such “vitamin support” should be handled by a doctor.

A thorough rinse of the teeth after each meal is not unreasonable.

Also in many cases fluoridation is recommended – coating the teeth with a special varnish that protects the enamel

Any questions?

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