By Gentle Touch Dentistry Richardson
What if your tooth needs to be extracted and you’re pregnant too?
In general, pregnancy period is the period of minimal medications. So, any sort of treatment procedure, be it physical or dental, is not recommended unless it is necessary. But again, for most of us, a visit to the dentist happens only when we are suffering from pain, sensitivity, infection or any other dental trouble! When the problem is small we tend to ignore it, and when it gets worse, we are bound pay a visit to the clinic. However, it is at best advised that any optional treatment, such as whitening of teeth or other cosmetic procedures, must preferably be postponed after the baby’s delivery in order to avoid exposing the developing baby to any kind of risk, even if they are minimal.
When you can’t wait till your baby pops out…
Pregnancy is a considerable amount of time period. If your condition demands you to undergo a dental procedure during your pregnancy itself, second semester is the best period to go for it. The first trimester involves complications such as feeling of nausea, suspension of a bad taste in the mouth, feeling of dizziness or a persistent vomiting tendency are some of the issues that continuously keep vexing you in your 1st trimester. And in your 3rd trimester, it will be simply difficult for you to lie straight on your back for a prolonged duration of time! Considering these conditions, second trimester is the best time to for for any dental altercation. If required! In fact, 2nd trimester is the time to enjoy anything – whether you want to go for a vacation or take up a project to remodel your house or simply planning a wardrobe makeover…do it in this trimester. Your 2nd trimester actually permits you to plan your days as you would wish to and stay in a positive and vibrant sate of mind!
Dental care that you might need to undergo when you are an expecting mom…
Some regular oral checkups and preventive dental measures are highly recommended during pregnancy. Most essentially, you should brush and floss twice daily to maintain a good oral hygiene. In case, brushing or mouth cleaning seems difficult in your first trimester due to the morning sickness that prevails, you might use a toothpaste with a band taste. Nevertheless, do not skip oral cleaning by any means! Sugar cravings are a common phenomenon during pregnancy. Avoid taking too much of sugary foods or even snacks. Since oral cleaning is not possible several times a day, remains these small intakes in between your teeth gaps may affect your dental well-being. Stay away from these habits to avoid unnecessary visits to your dentist!
Do’s during any emergency procedure while you’re pregnant
Pregnancy involves change in your hormone levels, which may lead to gum disease, swelling of gums, bleeding and infections linked to preterm birth. This calls for emergency procedures, like a tooth extraction too. They may be processed safely, only if you are sticking to the proper protocol…
- Inform the dentist about the specific drugs that you are taking during your pregnancy which must be inclusive of the names of the vitamin, iron, calcium and other supplements too.
- Check whether your dentist is using a lead apron to cover your pelvic and abdominal area, in case you need to undergo a dental X-ray. Although the radiations used in dental X-rays are very mild and dentists don’t tend to make use of the apron because there is virtually no risk posed at the unborn baby, yet, the angle of the beam being used may affect your pelvic region by chance. So it’s always advisable to take even the minute precautions…it concerns a new life after all! Even according to the American Dental Association, X-rays during pregnancy is safe with appropritae shielding. Alternatively, an imaging method called ultrasound scan can also be used.
- In order to treat infections, Antibiotics of Category B may be safely prescribed after a procedure. These medications include amoxicillin, clyndamycin and penilcillin.
- Although anesthesia required in dental procedures is minimal, yet, additional dosages might be administered to alleviate an excessive pain and also keep the mother and the baby from stress. Dental anesthetics is in no way reported to have been related with any amount of miscarriages, birth defects, premature births, underweight baby etc.
Few types of dental emergencies during pregnancy…
So what may the kinds of emergencies that you might come across in your pregnancy?
A Tooth Decay
Often, an increased intake of carbohydrates enhances the chances of tooth decay. Also, due to morning sickness, if the acidity of your mouth rises, you are more prone to tooth decay. Even brushing twice a day and flossing may fall short of keeping you from this risk. A tooth extraction becomes obvious in such cases!
Pregnancy Gingivitis
Hormonal changes during pregnancy may cause tenderness and inflammation in your gums, which is technically termed as “pregnancy gingivitis”. You may, unfortunately, experience gum bleeding while brushing your teeth or flossing! Once affected with gingivitis, you cannot leave it untreated, even if you are carrying a baby.
Pregnancy Tumors
In a few worse cases, some women may face tissue over-growths in their gums, which are called “pregnancy tumors”. It should not be mistakenly considered as cancer or any metastatic outgrowth. Rather, simply accumulation of plaque may be responsible for these. They may bleed and they appear reddish and sore. Interestingly, they can disappear immediately after your baby is born. In other cases you might need to see your dentist too.
In a nutshell, dental procedures are not a cause of worry even if you are pregnant. However, it is once again recommended that any treatment that could be postponed to your post pregnancy days, should be dealt with later on.