How does pregnancy affect oral health?

It is a false belief that the mother will lose calcium from during pregnancy and that the mother will lose one tooth during each pregnancy. But it is also a fact that there will be some changes in oral health during pregnancy. The most important one is the higher concentration of estrogen and progesterone hormones, a condition associated with increased accumulation of plaque on the teeth.

If the plaque is not removed, it causes gingivitis. This condition is called “pregnancy gingivitis”. The gingiva is red, voluminous, sensitive and bleeding.

In pregnant women, there is also the risk of developing a “pregnancy tumor”. These are inflammatory lesions that occur as a result of irritation of gingival growths. Although they are usually left untouched, they should be removed by the dentist if they cause discomfort or prevent chewing, brushing, and other oral care procedures.

How can these problems be prevented?

Gingivitis can be prevented by effective care and cleaning of the teeth. Teeth should be brushed at least twice a day, if possible, after each meal. All teeth should also be cleaned with dental floss every day. If brushing your teeth in the morning is uncomfortable, the mouth should be rinsed with water or anti-plaque and fluoride mouthwashes. Along with a balanced diet, vitamin C and B12 supplements are also important to maintain oral health. Visiting a dentist more often also prevents gingivitis by providing effective plaque control. Ensuring plaque control also reduces gingival irritation and the risk of pregnancy tumors.

Is a dental X-ray harmful during pregnancy?

During this period, complaints secondary to dental problems can be temporarily resolved without an x-ray by postponing the curative treatment to postnatal period. It is not appropriate to get an x-ray to check outcomes of a dental treatment (root canal treatment, etc.). If necessary, unsuccessful treatments should be repeated after childbirth. The approach may differ for major problems that may threaten overall health of the mother. In cases where an X-ray is inevitable for diagnosis, although the dose of radiation exposed in dental X-rays is very low and not very close to abdominal X-rays, it is absolutely necessary to use a lead apron to prevent the developing baby from radiation exposure.

 

Do teeth decay faster during pregnancy?

As mentioned earlier, the belief that “calcium is lost from the mother’s teeth during pregnancy, and therefore every baby will make the mother lose a tooth” is absolutely not correct. Disturbance of homeostasis during pregnancy creates an environment suitable for the quicker decay of teeth. The reasons why teeth decay more quickly during this period are;

Excessive cravings for sweets and junk food appear during lactation, and teeth are not brushed after these foods are consumed. Since pregnant women usually vomit in first several months of pregnancy, they may not pay attention properly to oral care. Since pregnancy hormones (estrogen, progesterone) make gums bleed easier, expectant mothers avoid brushing their teeth. Due to these reasons, it is necessary to take more care of dental health during this period.

Are there any precautions that should be taken for the baby’s dental health?

The baby’s tooth development begins in the womb. During this period, the mother should pay attention to balanced diet for maternal (her own) and fetal (her baby’s) health. Protein, vitamin A (meat, milk, eggs, yellow vegetables and fruits), vitamin C (citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries), vitamin D (meat, milk, eggs, fish), and calcium-rich foods (milk and dairy products, green leafy vegetables) must be consumed adequately for dental health.

Inappropriate or irrational use of drugs should be avoided. The medications may negatively affect the baby’s dental health as well as general body development.

 

“I took antibiotics when I was pregnant”, will my baby’s teeth be affected?

We have already stated that irrational use of medications should be avoided during this period. However, the belief that every antibiotic agent causes stains on the baby’s teeth is wrong. The group of antibiotics that causes discoloration of the teeth is “tetracyclines”. Moreover, it has not been proven that other antibiotics cause discoloration.

Note: This post is taken from www.tdb.org.tr.