A good care of teeth and gums is required during pregnancy. There will be some hormonal changes which can develop gum diseases. Thus, there will always be a risk that the health of the developing baby is affected. Being pregnant comes with extra care to the body, and ignoring dental health may turn problematic. It’s also advised to seek a dental appointment before starting the journey of pregnancy. By doing so, you can get your teeth cleaned, let gum problems examined and any problem to tooth can be treated beforehand.
Why dental care is important during pregnancy?
- Pregnancy puts women at greater risks for tooth decay and gum disease (pregnancy gingivitis)
- Being pregnant comes with the risk for oral growth or pregnancy tumors
- Gum disease during pregnancy can increase the risk of delivering a pre-term baby
- Low-birth weight baby delivery may be a risk where gum disease strikes during pregnancy
- Fear of dentists and other dental procedures may stop expecting mothers to seek treatment for their teeth problems
- Oral care routine gets impacts during pregnancy so increasing the risk of dental problems
Here are some of dental care steps required on your part during pregnancy –
Tell your dentist about your pregnancy
If you’re pregnant, you should make this known to the dentist so that right treatment is provided to you. In fact, expecting mothers can go for routine dental care any time as it won’t harm them in any way. However, it makes sense to postpone any elective dental procedure until after the delivery to not risk the baby in any manner possible.
Inform your dentist about the medicines you’re taking
There is no harm in informing the dentist about the medicines you’re taking during your pregnancy. You need to tell the dentist even all those prenatal vitamins and other similar drugs so that it does not impact your treatment. Based on this information, a treatment plan will be prepared for you for your dental problems. So, if you did hide anything, there might not be a right treatment plan for you.
Don’t fear x-rays as they are safe
Pregnancy ladies often fear the x-rays hoping it to be harmful for the safety of their child. Well, they should not worry at all as x-rays are a lot safer today that the past and second, the dentist will take a great care to safeguard you and your baby. Even if x-rays are done, there will be proper protection to your abdomen and thyroid so that harmful rays never reach where not intended.
Go for regular gum checkups
Being pregnant does not mean you skip dental checkups fearing risk to the baby. Rather, you must go for regular gum or periodontal exams to ensure health to your baby. If you did not, there would be a greater risk of periodontal disease leading to pregnancy gingivitis. This is a condition where gums bleed easily. It’s important to focus more on gums and any changes to them during pregnancy. Any swelling, bleeding or tenderness should be reported to the dentist immediately for right treatment.
Don’t allow morning sickness impact brushing or flossing
During pregnancy, morning sickness is common. It however should never be an excuse to stop brushing or flossing. There may be days when you may not feel like brushing your teeth but this will not help. Rather, you can change your paste for a try and get going with the act to maintain oral health. To minimize bouts of vomiting in the morning, you can use water or mouth rinse and get a refreshing feel.
Eating Right and keep safe your teeth and baby
What you eat will have an effect on your dental health. And you know how poor oral health, particularly gum problems, can harm you during pregnancy. So, even if sweet cravings are hard to ignore in those days, you have to resist the temptation. You have to cut back on snacking to minimize risks of tooth decay. The focus should be on having healthy diets rich in dairy, nuts, nutrients, leafy greens etc. to help maintain oral health.
Follow a diet for the development of your baby’s oral health
Your baby’s teeth will start to develop when you’re three months into pregnancy. So, the diet should be attuned to ensure the development of the teeth, gums and bones of the baby. Eating more of dairy items, fruits (non-acidic), and items laden with essential minerals is recommended.
In overall, dental problems should never be ignored during pregnancy. Rather, you should consult a top dentist upper east side NYC and seek right treatment and ensure health to your baby.
Author
Akshay Sharma is a writer who loves sharing views on health and food topics. He is constantly in search of new articles and posts on topics related to health and its branches. Currently, he works with LoveNationalDental dentist upper east side NYC.