Pregnancy often comes with dental complications that may make your oral health efforts a nightmare. If you are pregnant or have planned to get pregnant, educate yourself on dental issues that are common during pregnancy to protect your oral health and your baby.
The Problems
Here are some of the problems you may face during pregnancy.
Tender Gums
The levels of hormones in your body surge when you are pregnant. The rise of hormone levels can make your gums tender and easily irritated. As such, your gums may swell, bleed, and become more susceptible to irritations. The combination of all these factors also means your risk of dental diseases rises during pregnancy since food can get stuck in the folds of your swollen gums.
Posture Difficulties
If you are a few months into your pregnancy, you may have a hard time with certain positions that the dentist may want you to maintain during treatments. For example, some dental positions require you to lie on your back for extended periods. Such treatments may prove difficult for you if your pregnancy is farther along.
Baby Exposure to Medications
Babies are more fragile than adults; babies who are still in the womb are even more fragile. Your baby in the womb may not respond well to certain drugs that don’t pose you any harm. Therefore, take care which drugs go into your system if you are pregnant.
Some dental drugs may affect babies in the womb. And, some effects may not show up immediately; they may only show up later in your child’s life.
The Solutions
Your dental health is not doomed just because you are expectant. Take the following measures, and you are more likely to sail through your pregnancy without dental complications.
Inform Your Dentist If Expectant
Your dentist will know which treatments you can get and which ones can wait. For example, the dentist will give you safe drug alternatives in case the normal options may harm the baby.
Get Preventive Dental Care
Consider preventive dental care before you get pregnant or right after you get pregnant. For example, get a dentist to clean your teeth professionally to reduce your risk of dental problems when you are pregnant.
Maintain Impeccable Oral Hygiene
A high level of oral hygiene is important at all times, but even more so if you are expectant. The increased risk of dental diseases means that even a minimal lapse in oral hygiene practices may trigger oral complications. Here are a few specific tips that will help you:
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to minimize the irritations on your gums.
- Try different kinds of toothpaste if your usual brand triggers nausea in you during pregnancy.
- Rinse your mouth every time you throw up to rinse away stomach acid, which can erode your teeth.
In short, do everything you can to keep your mouth as clean as possible during your pregnancy.
Postpone Non-Emergency Procedures
Ideally, you should postpone non-emergency dental treatments until after your pregnancy. For example, you don’t have to whiten your teeth or get dental veneers during this time. However, you can get emergency procedures, such as root canal treatment or treatment for cracked teeth, since they can’t wait.
Opt for Second Trimester Treatments
Most people find the first and last trimester more troublesome than the second trimester. Therefore, if you can’t postpone a dental treatment, schedule it for the second trimester when your pregnancy-related complications are more mellow.
Pregnancy may come with dental complications, but these difficulties shouldn’t deny you good dental health. Contact us at Accent Dental; we will help you with all your dental problems, and we will give you effective treatment that won’t harm your baby in any way.