How pregnancy affects your oral environment

When you’re pregnant your body goes through a lot of changes and so does your mouth. Because of this, it is important you stay on top of your oral hygiene and if you are planning on getting pregnant, to come in early for a dental examination. This way any problems you may have with your teeth can be treated in advance and prevent any major issues during the course of your pregnancy.

It is still important to continue your routine maintenance visits, which can be performed at any stage during your pregnancy. Make sure to inform your dentist that you are pregnant as we may need to make small changes to your treatment plan based on this information.

While we prefer to postpone major dental work till after delivery, emergency procedures are still undertaken during pregnancy. If there are any tooth aches or infections it is better if you come in and get them sorted as that can put additional stress on you and the pregnancy.

You are still able to get dental radiographs (X-rays) during pregnancy. We will always try to minimise the use of dental X-Rays, especially whilst pregnant and use extreme caution to safeguard you and your baby. Our Surgery uses very low dose modern dental imaging technology.

Make sure you don’t skip your regular check-up because you are pregnant! They are even more important than usual, with all those hormonal changes during pregnancy, it puts you at an increased risk of periodontal (gum) disease. It is common to get bleeding, puffy gums (pregnancy gingivitis). Don’t worry, its normal, keep flossing and brushing and as things settle and the gums get healthier, they will stop that..

Morning sickness is a frequent issue in the first trimester. Stomach acid is very acidic and softens the enamel (the hard-outer surface of the tooth), it is best to rinse with water and wait at least 30 minutes before brushing your teeth, if you don’t, you are at risk of brushing your enamel away.

Frequent snacking also occurs, during the first trimester it helps keep the nausea away and during the third trimester your stomach doesn’t have a lot of room which often leads to frequent snacking!. This means that the bacteria in your mouth are frequently using those carbohydrates and sugars to produce acid which eats away at your teeth and cause holes so Do your best to avoid sugary snacks. This is another reason we need to focus on a very strict oral hygiene routine with daily flossing and through brushing.

The main thing is we want mum and bub to be healthy! Make sure you are flossing and brushing daily and if possible, try come to see us before getting pregnant. If you experienced any dental problems during your pregnancy that haven’t been attended to or remain outstanding, see your dentist soon as possible after delivery. At Stafford dental, we want nothing more than for you to be able to keep your smile for life.