Your health during pregnancy is one of the major factors that determines the delivery of a healthy baby. It is important for you to learn how to take care of your own oral health because crucially, children whose mothers have poor oral health are significantly more likely to suffer poor oral health themselves. This can lead to pain and distress, affecting your child’s overall development and wellbeing during childhood. Children often grow up to copy the oral hygiene habits of their parents so it is important you start and maintain healthy habits now before your baby is born.
Visiting the dentist during pregnancy
As well as undergoing prenatal medical examinations, it is important to seek prenatal oral health advice as it will teach you how to prevent and manage oral health problems during pregnancy, and will also promote the health and quality of your life and that of your baby. Ideally, every woman should have had such information and access to a preventive dental service from childhood. At the very least, you should be able to access an adequate dental care service during pregnancy. This can reduce the need of invasive dental procedures and possible complications, such as pain, inflammation or oral infections during pregnancy that might disrupt this important period of your life.
It is advisable that every pregnant woman goes to the dentist during pregnancy to prevent or treat oral diseases such as tooth decay and gum disease. Necessary dentistry will be provided safely during all stages of the pregnancy, and in fact, delaying necessary treatment could cause harm to yourself and indirectly to your baby.
Arrange your appointments to fit your schedule so that you can be at ease with the dentist and not anxious about the time. It is also advisable to avoid any particular period when you may be feeling most nauseous.
"Your comfort is key to having a good experience, so tell your dentist if you do not feel comfortable on the dental chair."
Pregnant women are a group of dental patients that do require special care so the dentist will initially record a thorough history of your oral health. You will be asked about your current and previous medical and dental history. It is crucial you provide the names and means to get in contact with the doctors who are responsible for your prenatal assistance. If there are any concerns the dentist can contact them immediately.
Your comfort is key to having a good experience at the dentist. You must tell your dentist if you do not feel comfortable on the dental chair. As your pregnancy advances, your stomach will become bigger, requiring you to sit up a little for maximal comfort. A small pillow can be placed for maximal comfort.
Although dental treatment is considered optimal and most comfortable during the 2nd trimester, there is no evidence that preventative and reparative treatment during any trimester of the pregnancy is harmful to the mother or developing fetus. Routine x-rays, typically taken during annual exams, can usually be postponed until after the birth. X-rays are necessary to perform many dental procedures, especially emergencies. According to the American College of Radiology, no single diagnostic x-ray has a radiation dose significant enough to cause adverse effects in a developing embryo or fetus. According to the ADA and ACOG, having dental X-rays during your pregnancy is considered safe with appropriate shielding.
Some women may elect to avoid dental work during the first trimester knowing this is the most vulnerable time of development. However, there is no evidence suggesting harm to the baby for those electing to visit the dentist during this time frame. Also, if non-emergency dental work is needed during the third trimester, it is usually postponed until after the birth. This is to avoid the risk of premature labor and prolonged time lying on your back.
"What about medications used in dental work during pregnancy?"
Currently, there are conflicting studies about possible adverse effects on the developing baby from medications used during dental work. Lidocaine is the most commonly used drug for dental work. Lidocaine (Category B: Animal studies show no risks, but there are no controlled studies on pregnant women.) does cross the placenta after administration. If dental work is needed, the amount of anesthesia administered should be as little as possible, but still enough to make you comfortable. If you are experiencing pain, request additional numbing. When you are comfortable, the amount of stress on you and the baby is reduced. Also, the more comfortable you are, the easier it is for the anesthesia to work. Dental work often requires antibiotics to prevent or treat infections. Antibiotics such as penicillin, amoxicillin, and clindamycin, which are labeled category B for safety in pregnancy, may be prescribed after your procedure.
For safety reasons, vital signs like blood pressure, respiratory and heart rates may assessed before and after any dental procedure. If a pregnant woman already suffered diabetes mellitus before the pregnancy, or has gestational diabetes mellitus, blood glucose levels must be monitored before and after treatment. It is possible to liaise with her endocrinologist or obstetrician.
References:
American College of Radiologists http://www.acr.org/
American Dental Association http://www.ada.org/
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists http://www.acog.org/
