Pregnancy is an exciting journey that puts your body through significant changes. While you’re focusing on nutrition, rest, and prenatal care, it’s equally important to maintain a regular oral health routine.
Hormonal swings, dietary changes, and morning sickness can all impact your teeth and gums, making it essential to take extra precautions. In this blog, we’ll discuss common dental issues that may arise during pregnancy, how to prevent them, and whether dental X-rays are safe.
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How Does Pregnancy Affect Your Dental Health?
Hormonal changes during this miraculous journey can lead to a variety of dental concerns, including tooth decay and an increased risk of gum disease. Understanding these challenges is essential for maintaining good dental health and ensuring the well-being of both mother and child. Here’s a couple of ways pregnancy could affect your dental health:
Mouth Dryness: Pregnancy can often disturb sleep patterns. The position in which a pregnant woman sleeps can affect her breathing, which may contribute to sleep apnea. This condition causes a person to breathe through their mouth, leading to a dry mouth. If mouth breathing is left untreated, it can increase the risk of periodontal disease– where teeth can become loose– or cause tooth decay.
Gums Problems: Hormonal changes during pregnancy can cause inflammation in the gums known as Gingivitis. Its symptoms include red, swollen, painful gums and excessive bleeding. Leaving gingivitis untreated can lead to a more severe type of gum disease known as periodontitis.
Loose Tooth: As mentioned before, severe inflammation in the gums could cause periodontitis. This disease could loosen the tissues and damage the bones that support your teeth, causing the teeth to become loose and may eventually require extraction.
Dental Health Tips for Pregnant Women
Here are some tips you can follow during your pregnancy to prevent dental problems as much as possible:
Eat Healthy Food: Avoid food high in sugar and sugary beverages like juice, fruit-flavored drinks, and soda. Cavity-causing bacteria feed on those sugars and use them to grow inside your mouth. Over time, this bacteria can cause tooth decay and other oral diseases.
Remember to eat plenty of proteins –meat, chicken, eggs, and fish–and stick to healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free dairy, and other healthy options.
Practice Good Oral Hygiene: Keep your teeth and gums healthy bybrushing your teeth twice a day and flossing at least once. Use a soft-bristle toothbrush and flavor-free toothpaste to help reduce morning sickness. Don’t apply too much pressure when brushing; hard brushing can negatively impact the gums and enamel. Lastly, don’t forget to change your toothbrush every three months.
Maintain Regular Checkups: Visit your dentist regularly during the entire period of your pregnancy. When an oral problem is diagnosed early, it becomes easier to treat before it worsens. Completing all dental treatments before delivery is also recommended.
Talk to Your Dentist: On your first visit during pregnancy, let your dentist know that you are pregnant and tell them about all the medications or vitamins you are taking –if any– your dentist may need to adjust your treatment plan based on this information.
Can I Get An X-ray During Pregnancy?
Many women would refuse an X-ray examination before their first trimester–since this period is crucial for the baby’s growth. However, in 2017, a joint publication –released by The FDA, the American College of Radiology (ACR), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)– confirmed that X-rays performed on the teeth and mouth don’t expose reproductive organs to direct radiation. Thus, getting a dental X-ray during pregnancy is safe, even during the first trimester.
If not urgent, your dentist may advise you to postpone the procedure until the baby is born. However, it is essential to keep regular follow-ups to maintain good dental health and prevent any future complexes. Today, advanced digital dental radiography requires 80% less radiation than traditional X-rays, making it safer than before.
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