Pregnancy can be a stressful time and it isn’t always easy to know what you can and cannot do – especially when it comes to dental care.
Can you get your teeth cleaned? Should you keep up with your checkups? What about X-Rays or fillings?
The fact is, most dental care is safe during pregnancy and pregnancy can impact your oral health in a few key ways – so it’s important to keep up with your checkups.
It can be hard to know what to do, however, but here are a few things you need to know about dental care and pregnancy.
Pregnancy impacts your oral health
During pregnancy, hormones can have an impact on your oral health, causing things such as bleeding or sore gums. It’s important to keep up with your checkups so your dentist can monitor your oral health and make sure everything is healthy. Some conditions, like gingivitis, can cause problems for baby too, so be sure to keep up brushing and flossing as well.
Dental work can be done during pregnancy
You don’t have to be fearful of some dental procedures during pregnancy. Now, most people understand you can’t have an X-Ray during pregnancy but you can have routine cleanings and examinations and for most pregnant people, a simple filling is also safe (but it is usually best to wait until the second trimester if possible).
Dental emergencies can also be handled, like a loose crown or chipped tooth.
Postnatal dental care is vital
Childbirth and pregnancy can be hard on your teeth but so can nursing your baby. Nursing can cause oral health issues as well, so it’s a good idea to keep up your regular dental visits and cleanings even after baby arrives.
It also sets a good example for your children, when they see you taking care of your oral health (and it makes it not such a big deal when they need to go to the dentist eventually).
Everything Birth
At Everything Birth, we care about your health!