Being pregnant for the first time can leave you with many questions—especially health-related ones. In our last week’s article, we discussed the importance of dental care during pregnancy. From routine visits to your dentist and keeping up with hormonal changes that can affect your teeth and gums, maintaining the health of your teeth becomes increasingly important.
To make the transition from no baby to a baby more simple, we’ve listed the do’s and dont’s of dental care during pregnancy below. For immediate answers to your pregnancy-related dental questions, feel free to contact us here.
3 Do’s for Dental Care During Pregnancy
1. Go in for Routine Checkups
You’ve likely heard that six-month dental checkups are highly recommended, but depending on the changes in your body in response to your pregnancy, you may require more.
When you are pregnant, your hormone levels increase which results in changes to your gums. Women often experience early signs of gingivitis while pregnant and if left ignored, can result in periodontal disease. To help you monitor these changes, it’s important to schedule a check-up with your dentist and receive an update on just where you stand with your dental journey.
2. Get Local Anesthesia
In the instance that a dental procedure requires local anesthesia, you may be wondering “Is Anesthesia safe for me and my baby?”. If so, it’s important to know that local anesthesia is indeed safe. However, it is in our best recommendation to consult your treatment, including the anesthesia, with your ob-gyn to eliminate any reason for risks to arise.
3. Stay on Top of Oral Hygiene
This one comes as no surprise, but in no way is it to be overlooked. Maintaining your daily oral hygiene is necessary while pregnant. This includes brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing every night.
3 Dont’s for Dental Care During Pregnancy
1. Get Non-Elective Dental Work Done
To avoid unnecessary risks, it’s important to postpone non-elective dental work during your pregnancy. Though this is something you can receive after you’ve had your baby, while pregnant, you should steer clear of putting a strain on your body and working toward recovery that’s not immediately necessary.
For dental work that’s urgent, you should attempt to wait to have the surgery during your second trimester if possible.
2. Forgetting to Tell Your Dentist You’re Pregnant
Similar to your regular physician, it’s important to inform your dentist about your pregnancy. This is because your dentist will need to make adjustments to efficiently accommodate your visit. With the right dentist, you should feel comfortable relaying your exciting news to receive optimal care.
3. Ignore Tooth Pain
Trust us—no one likes tooth pain. In fact, teeth related issues leave many individuals feeling anxious when visiting their dentist. However, when pregnant, if tooth pain arises, you should, by all means, pay attention and receive the necessary care. Gum infections can develop far too quickly and ignoring dental issues will only make matters worse. Severe infections have been found to spread to the blood, which will pose a serious threat while you are pregnant. When dealing with tooth pain, visit your dentist immediately.
Receive effective care during your pregnancy
If it’s been a while since your last check-up and you are showing signs of pregnancy, make an appointment today with North Pointe Dental Associates. Give us a call to schedule!
