Pregnancy and dentistry

 Until recently, there has been an active myth that dental care is contraindicated for pregnant women, but this is false. Of course, each specific situation must be assessed separately, but I would like to speak more generally.

We must first understand what treatments can and cannot be used during pregnancy.

It is forbidden to place implants. There are doctors who claim that implantation for the body is less trauma than the removal of wisdom teeth. In some cases, this is indeed the case, but implantation also involves stress for the patient and the fetus (and implant placement is a full-scale operation), anesthesia and X-ray, and thorough anti-inflammatory therapy after surgery, i. use of antibiotics. Also, given that implantation is not a primary surgery, it is possible and should be postponed until after the birth and breastfeeding of the baby. However, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, the gap in the bite should be closed in another way.

I also find the use of dentures on my teeth during pregnancy extremely undesirable. Of course, modern medicine has a number of tools, including those that are safe for pregnant women, to stop the pain during and after treatment. Nevertheless, such stress and unnecessary medical effects on the expectant mother and child should not be caused without extreme urgency.

Orthodontic treatment. If you started correcting your teeth before pregnancy, you probably don't need to throw away the work you have done, you just need to take care of your oral hygiene, also using professional cleaning, which we'll talk about later. At the same time, I would not recommend wearing braces during pregnancy. First, almost all patients experience pain when inserting braces, which resolves but recurs about every 2-3 months when the braces are "tightened." An alternative orthodontic treatment is the use of aligners. The liners are transparent polymeric cabinets made to suit the needs of the individual patient and then moving each tooth in the required direction. The pain associated with the use of liners is less and they can also be removed to take care of oral hygiene, this is important to prevent various infections (you can read more about liners here and here.

Professional oral hygiene. Professional cleaning is possible and in some cases necessary during pregnancy, however, it is necessary not to use ultrasound equipment during the procedure. According to statistics, 40-60% of expectant mothers develop gingivitis, one of the ways to prevent the disease, in addition to personal oral hygiene, is professional cleaning (more information can be found here.

Whitening. Almost all types of whitening are based to some extent on the use of special chemistry. When applied to teeth, some of the gel used with saliva can enter the body - this should of course be avoided.

Tooth extraction and treatment. It is necessary to treat teeth during pregnancy! However, recommendations for dental care vary depending on the stage of the mother's pregnancy.

First trimester - during this stage of pregnancy the formation and primary development of all fetal organs takes place, the fully formed placenta is not able to fully protect the fetus from all "external influences". Therefore, the use of local anesthesia and dental treatment can also negatively affect the development of the baby in the mother's womb. During the first trimester, treatment is given only to acute forms of the disease, which can lead to complications. Treatment of chronic diseases should be postponed to a more appropriate time.

The second trimester - this is the most preferred period of pregnancy for the treatment of oral diseases. At this time, the risks associated with treatment are minimal compared to other stages of pregnancy. During this time, the placenta is fully formed and plays its protective role with full force. During this time, it is possible to treat chronic and acute forms of the disease with local anesthesia. Particular care should be taken in the choice of analgesic, and medicines that may cause allergies in pregnant women or that contain adrenaline should not be used. X-rays can also be used to diagnose the disease. For this purpose, it is preferable to choose a clinic with a Viscograph-E, this device helps to limit the exposure of the patient to X-rays. The second trimester is the best time for professional cleaning and (in case of urgent indications) tooth extraction.

Third trimester - As with the first trimester, this time is not preferred for dental treatment. During this time, the uterine muscles are particularly sensitive and react more violently to any change (including medication) than otherwise - this can lead to premature birth.

As described, it is obviously the best time to treat your teeth during the second trimester. However, in the presence and exacerbation of certain diseases, it is not possible to wait for the desired treatment time, as they pose a risk of general toxicity to the body and the fetus.

In conclusion, we can say that pregnancy should be approached with caution and taking into consideration "all the circumstances". It is necessary to visit your dentist and treat all diseases in the oral cavity in order to avoid possible complications.