Caries, tartar, bleeding gums – all of these can endanger an unborn baby. Due to the fact that not every dental procedure is safe to perform during pregnancy, it is necessary to take care of your teeth before it begins.
The prenatal development of a child depends to a large extent on the mother’s way of life and her concern for her own health. An unattended mouth can seriously harm an unborn baby. Advanced caries affecting the pulp of the tooth is particularly dangerous in this case. It turns the tooth into an open wound causing bacteria to sow into the mother’s blood, and thus into the baby’s body. For this reason, all cavities should be healed before conception. However, if it happens that a tooth requires dental intervention during pregnancy, you should visit a dentist as soon as possible, who will select the appropriate method of treatment.
Even before becoming pregnant, it is worth removing tartar, because it is one of the causes that increases the risk of caries and gingivitis. Later, the woman’s gums become additionally fluffed and bleeding-prone.
– Due to irritable gums, women often neglect oral hygiene and limit brushing. This is a very big mistake – it must not be forgotten that caries can develop within two weeks. We recommend (for each patient) the use of soft or sonic brushes that do not irritate the gums, massage them lightly, and are also the most effective in daily prophylaxis. Oral hygiene should be supplemented with dental rinses that strengthen the teeth and gums, said Dr. Przemysław Uliasz, expert of the Dentistry Lesson campaign.
Toothache resulting from the lack of proper oral hygiene can be severe. However, combating it in a future mother or a woman who is already breastfeeding is particularly difficult, during this time it is inadvisable to use painkillers. Taking care of regular visits to the dentist even before pregnancy will allow you to avoid the need to take medications during pregnancy.
It happens that women use oral fluoride to care for their unborn child’s teeth. Taken during pregnancy, it does not improve the condition of children’s teeth.
It is worth remembering that despite the technological progress and the currently used methods of digital radiography, the negative impact of x-ray radiation on the child’s development cannot be ruled out. The most dangerous in this regard is the first trimester. During this period, the child is more susceptible to X-ray radiation. Therefore, it is essential to inform the dentist about the pregnancy during the dental visit.
During pregnancy, women are advised not to whiten their teeth. Ultraviolet radiation in whitening contributes to the decomposition of folic acid, which is important for the development of, among others, the child’s urinary and neurological system, and the whitening ingredients may be toxic to the fetus.
— A woman should ensure that her teeth are fully healthy when she becomes pregnant. In addition to the limitations associated with performing dental procedures during pregnancy, a long stay of a woman in the dental chair is also inadvisable, which, due to the specificity of its shape, negatively affects the blood circulation of the mother and the child – says the drug. dent. Przemysław Uliasz, expert of the Dentistry Lesson campaign
Dentistry lesson is an initiative of the Nadzieja dla Zdrowia Foundation and NZOZ Prima-Dent in Warsaw, the aim of which is to positively influence the awareness and ultimately the condition and future of Polish teeth and eliminate dental stress. As part of the campaign, among others, educational lessons for kindergartens, schools, universities of the third age and companies are organized, during which participants are introduced to the techniques of caring for oral health and reducing dental stress. The campaign was covered by the honorary patronage of the Ombudsman for Children, Employers of the Republic of Poland, the Mazowieckie Superintendent of Education, the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, the Mayor of the Mokotów District, the Mayor of the Praga Północ District, the Medical and Dental Department of the University of Warsaw, the Polish Society of Dentistry and the media patronage of Modern Dentistry, infoDENT24.pl , New Dentistry, Dental Radio, Art of Dentistry and Dental Assistant and Hygienist. The campaign to promote oral health in children and adolescents under the slogan “Lesson in dentistry” has been conducted since 1999. So far, over 30 students have participated in it.