Proper dental care and timely teeth and gums treatment during pregnancy are not only about the future mother’s well-being but also about the health of the baby.
How safe is dental treatment during pregnancy, and are painkillers allowed for pregnant women? Will the treatment affect the course of pregnancy or harm the baby?
Let’s discuss all the pros and cons of dental treatment during pregnancy.
Is teeth treatment allowed during pregnancy?
Doctors recommend dental treatment at the stage of pregnancy planning. However, pregnancy is not a disease, and it is not an obstacle to visiting the dentist..
Moreover, in certain cases, a pregnant woman may require urgent treatment of teeth and gums. In particular, this refers to:
- caries at various stages and its complications (pulpitis, periodontitis);
- gum inflammation (bleeding, gingivitis, periodontitis);
- infectious, fungal diseases of the mucous membrane (stomatitis, candidiasis);
- tooth injuries resulting in chips, cracks, pulp or root damage.
At any sign of dental or gum disease, it is necessary to schedule an appointment with the dentist. The dentist will prescribe the safest treatment possible, taking into account the trimester of pregnancy and the specifics of its course, including the well-being and overall health of the expectant mother.
A pregnant woman should also inform the dentist about the names and dosages of all medications she is taking.
Can teeth be filled during pregnancy?
modern filling materials are hypoallergenic and non-toxic, and therefore safe for both the expectant mother and baby. Current sophisticated filling and restoring is safe.
Can pregnant women have dental X-rays?
Many pathological processes in the oral cavity develop inside the dental tissues. They can only be detected using informative diagnostic equipment. Traditionally, X-ray diagnostics (targeted X-rays) are used in dentistry. During pregnancy, it is recommended to use digital radiovisiography, as it provides a lower radiation dose.
Technological progress has made X-ray radiation much safer than in previous decades.
Can pregnant women undergo dental treatment with local anesthesia?
Toothache is considered one of the most intense types of pain. During pregnancy, it can be dangerous because it causes stress for the woman.
For minor procedures (such as filling small cavities), anaesthesia is not used for pregnant women. If the treatment involves painful sensations (deep cavity preparation, pulpitis treatment), it is performed with an injection of a local anaesthetic.
The doctor selects the medication based on the patient’s condition, indications, and contraindications. For safe treatment, new-generation painkillers are used.
Components of these medications:
- Do not cross the protective placental barrier;
- Do not affect intrauterine or placental blood flow;
- Contain vasoconstrictor components in low concentrations;
- Do not pose a risk of pregnancy termination.
Restrictions and Contraindications
If a pregnancy is progressing normally and there are no risk factors, there is no reason to postpone the treatment of acute or potentially dangerous oral diseases. These procedures can be performed during any trimester of pregnancy.
However, there are numbers of procedures that are not recommended for pregnant women.
Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening is contraindicated during pregnancy because the procedure can be quite aggressive for weakened tooth enamel. During pregnancy, a woman’s body directs most of its energy and nutrients toward the development of the baby.
As a result, many pregnant women experience a calcium deficiency, which leads to a reduction in the strength of the hard tissues of the teeth. In this state of enamel, whitening can seriously harm dental health.
Prosthetics and implantation
The reason for the contraindication is the need for computed tomography and large-scale surgical intervention, which requires the use of strong anaesthetics, and in some cases, additional drug therapy.
Planned Tooth Extractions
Removal of wisdom teeth, unerupted teeth, or teeth with improper positioning, provided there is no discomfort or complications, is postponed until after the baby is born.
A decision to extract a tooth during pregnancy is made by the doctor only in exceptional cases:
- in case of acute inflammation and pain;
- if it is impossible to carry out treatment and restoration;
- if the preservation of the diseased tooth poses a greater threat to the health of the woman and child than its removal.
Orthodontic Treatment for Teeth Alignment
Such treatment is also better postponed. However, if the expectant mother is already wearing braces, the treatment continues, but the requirements for hygiene and monitoring the condition of the tooth enamel are increased
Treatment in different trimesters of pregnancy
Even if a woman has taken a responsible approach to pregnancy planning and has had her teeth treated in advance, she still needs to visit the dentist regularly during pregnancy.
This will allow you to detect caries and other pathological processes in the oral cavity at an early stage, apply the safest treatment methods and prevent the negative impact of infections on the development and health of the child.
To monitor the condition of the teeth and gums, the expectant mother needs to undergo a dental check-up in the 1st trimester (before registering for prenatal care) and in the last months before giving birth.
When it comes to performing any dental procedures, not only the woman’s condition but also the stage of pregnancy is important. Each trimester has its own characteristics and risks that determine the choice of treatment methods.
The First trimester
The first trimester lasts up to 12 weeks inclusive. During the first trimester, all the vital organs of the unborn child are being formed.
At the same time, the placenta is not yet strong enough to reliably protect the fetus from external factors, and the woman’s body undergoes significant hormonal, physiological and metabolic overload.
Any interventions, stress, medications can negatively affect both the pregnancy and the baby’s health. Therefore, dental treatment during the first trimester of pregnancy is mostly conducted by non-invasive methods of therapy (treatment without a dental drill: ozone therapy, laser, air-abrasive method).
Whenever possible, the doctor avoids surgical intervention and the use of drugs or anaesthesia.
The Second Trimester
This period lasts from the 13th to the 24th week of pregnancy. For both the mother and the baby, this is the calmest and safest period.
Therefore, if the patient requires caries treatment or other dental procedures, the doctor postpones them to the second trimester of pregnancy.
The Third Trimester
One of the common concerns for expectant mothers is until which week dental treatment is safe. The third trimester (from the 25th week until birth), like the first, is quite challenging. The difficulties are caused by the increased strain on the woman’s body and the heightened sensitivity of the placenta to external factors.
Dental treatment during the third trimester is performed in cases of acute conditions that could be dangerous to the health of the mother and baby.
It is recommended to postpone planned surgeries and procedures until after the baby is born.
Dental Care Tips for Pregnant Women
The health of the mother’s entire body, and, accordingly, the health of the baby, depends on the condition of the oral cavity. Therefore, it is very important to provide your teeth and gums with good care and monitor their condition throughout pregnancy.
The health of the mother’s entire organism depends on the condition of the oral cavity, and accordingly the health of the baby. Therefore, it is very important to provide teeth and gums with good care, to monitor their condition throughout pregnancy.
Dentists recommend:
- examining the oral cavity at the stage of pregnancy planning: treat cavities if necessary, get a professional teeth cleaning, remove wisdom teeth if needed, etc.
- maintaining a balanced diet to ensure a sufficient supply of microelements for the baby’s development and the mother’s dental and bone health.
- brushing your teeth at least twice a day (morning and evening).
- undergoing a dental check-up at least twice during pregnancy (in the first and last trimesters).
- immediately consulting a dentist if you notice any signs of inflammation or other oral diseases.
Don’t skip dental visits due to pregnancy. On the contrary, check-ups are especially important during this period since the risk of dental problems increases significantly.
To avoid problems and keep your teeth healthy, Yarema Dental clinic’s specialists recommend that the expectant mother visit the dentist regularly, undergo timely treatment and follow the doctor’s recommendations.