Pregnant mamas have a lot on their plate. Between doctor visits, preparing for little one\u2019s arrival, and managing pregnancy symptoms, scheduling a routine dental visit may not seem like a priority. Plus \u2013 you might be concerned about whether it\u2019s safe to visit the dentist.<\/p>\n
Well, we\u2019re here to tell you \u2013 it\u2019s not only safe but an important part of your prenatal care! We\u2019ve put together a quick Q&A regarding visiting the dentist while pregnant.<\/p>\n
How does pregnancy affect my mouth?<\/strong><\/p>\n Due to pregnancy hormones, you may experience pregnancy gingivitis, which can cause gum sensitivity and bleeding while brushing or flossing.<\/p>\n In most cases, this is normal. However, it\u2019s best to consult your dentist since periodontal disease can cause pre-term birth or low birth weight. If your dentist finds you do have periodontal disease, it is safe to receive scaling and root planing during pregnancy.<\/p>\n Depending on how your eating or dental routine habits have changed, your teeth may be affected. Increased consumption of carbohydrates, or increased acid in the mouth from vomiting due to nausea, will put your teeth at a higher risk for decay.<\/p>\n Some women will also experience \u201cpregnancy tumors,\u201d which are benign growths of tissue along the gums that may be related to excess plaque. Your dentist will be able to diagnose what\u2019s normal or what\u2019s not during your exam.<\/p>\n Is a routine dental visit any different during pregnancy?<\/strong><\/p>\n Nope! According to the American Dental Association, it is safe to get your teeth cleaned and examined, and to receive any necessary x-rays that you normally would during a routine visit.<\/p>\n Make sure to let your dental team know you are pregnant. If you are not experiencing any dental problems, and would feel better receiving x-rays after pregnancy, simply let your dental team know your preference.<\/p>\n Can I get dental work done while pregnant?<\/strong><\/p>\n In most cases, yes. Most necessary procedures can be performed during pregnancy. It is especially important to take care of any pain or major dental issues, as the risk of infection of leaving dental work undone can affect your overall health and that of baby.<\/p>\n If you have a high-risk pregnancy or have certain medical conditions, your physician and dentist may decide to postpone treatment until after pregnancy.<\/p>\n Can I use local anesthesia and nitrous oxide (laughing gas) while pregnant?<\/strong><\/p>\n Low doses of local anesthesia are generally safe enough to make you feel comfortable during the procedure. The use of nitrous oxide during pregnancy is generally not recommended, as it is a \u201cCategory C\u201d medication, meaning that there is a risk to your baby.<\/p>\n Can I get my teeth whitened during pregnancy?<\/strong><\/p>\n Having elective procedures such as teeth whitening and starting orthodontic care are not recommended during pregnancy. This includes using at-home teeth whitening products. The health of your mouth affects the health of your body at all times, not just during pregnancy. An infection in your mouth not only puts stress on your body from the pain, but may spread to the rest of your body as well.<\/p>\n Periodontal disease or an infection may result in low birth weight, premature birth, or even preeclampsia, a rare but life-threatening condition.<\/p>\n So, if you\u2019ve been putting off making that call to the dentist, put it off no longer! Go in, get those pearly whites cleaned and examined, and check it off your to-do list!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Pregnant mamas have a lot on their plate. Between doctor visits, preparing for little one\u2019s arrival, and managing pregnancy symptoms, scheduling a routine dental visit may not seem like a priority. Plus \u2013 you might be concerned about whether it\u2019s safe to visit the dentist. Well, we\u2019re here to tell you \u2013 it\u2019s not only […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1642,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summitfamilydentalcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1641"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summitfamilydentalcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summitfamilydentalcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summitfamilydentalcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summitfamilydentalcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1641"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.summitfamilydentalcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1644,"href":"https:\/\/www.summitfamilydentalcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1641\/revisions\/1644"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summitfamilydentalcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summitfamilydentalcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summitfamilydentalcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summitfamilydentalcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nWhat are the risks of not visiting the dentist while pregnant?<\/p>\n