Why Dental Care Is Important For Pregnant Women

Taking careful care of the condition of your teeth is, of course, always a complete necessity; but for pregnant women, despite the belief that it can be dangerous, it is exceptionally important. Upon pregnancy, hormonal fluctuations can cause many complications and discomforts in a woman’s body. Here are the reasons why, if you are pregnant, you should pay some special attention to the condition of your teeth and gums, alongside some of the precautions that both you and your dentist should consider during treatment.

1) Why you may need the dentist when you are pregnant

Besides the traditional needs for a dentist, such as check-ups and emergency procedures, the hormones that your body produces during pregnancy can cause a certain condition which is commonly known as pregnancy gingivitis, which can cause the wearing down of healthy gums. Besides being exceptionally uncomfortable or even painful, this can cause lifelong complications for your dental health, and should rather not be left to chance. There is a prevailing idea that during pregnancy, dentists should rather be avoided, but this is simply not the case. There are, however, some important precautions to take to ensure that you see the dentist at the appropriate point in your pregnancy, and go about it as safely as you and your physician can.

2) Is it okay to see a dentist if you are pregnant?

Sitting yourself in the dentist chair can be quite a stressful ordeal for some women, and for pregnant ladies this can have an effect on the emotional state of your baby, which you would be right to avoid, sometimes. Emergencies should always be seen to since your body needs to direct its resources to the healthy development of your baby, rather than the maintenance of your own body, and so treatment may become essential.

If it is not an emergency, routine check-ups should still be done, but not during the first and third trimesters of the pregnancy when the development of your child is at its most sensitive points. Any Gold Coast dentist would agree that the best window for a check-up is during the second trimester of your pregnancy, provided enough precautions are taken.

3) Communicate with your dentist

Absolutely, and without question, you should make it known to your dentist that you are pregnant, and tell him or her about the details of it, like how far along you are, the state of the baby, how your body has been coping with the pregnancy (especially including any discomfort in the mouth).

Your dentist will need to know these things if he or she is going to proceed safely with your treatment. Things like what kind of medication and supplements you are taking will have an effect on how your dentist will approach your treatment, what chemicals, and materials they can use which will be safe for your baby, and what level of treatment trauma your body and baby can safely handle.

One of the areas of particular concern is the use of x-rays during a consultation. It’s not exactly a secret that radiation is excessively bad for our bodies, and naturally this danger is greatly enhanced when you consider pregnancy. It is absolutely essential that your dentist knows as much about your pregnancy as they can before proceeding to x-ray you. While significant advancements have been made to the safe utility of x-rays over the last few decades, it doesn’t mean it is completely safe. But your dentist is a qualified technician and should have an exceptionally strong understanding of how to take extra precautions to ensure that neither your embattled body, nor that of your developing child, is in any danger from harmful medical procedures.

The post is contributed by Mediabuzzer