Perinatal Care Benefits Your Baby's Teeth

Mom’s oral health is clearly related to a healthy pregnancy, healthy delivery and healthy baby.  However, 2/3 of women do not seek dental care during their pregnancy!  Though it is perceived by most that dental care should be avoided during pregnancy, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

What is real is:

1) Dental care can be administered anytime during the pregnancy without undue risk to the baby.  A thorough examination in the first trimester would reveal what would be recommended to maximize mom’s oral health and the unborn child’s health.  Emergency work can be done immediately to avoid infection developing.  Significant extensive work is done best during the second trimester, after mother’s morning sickness has subsided and before weight gain makes it uncomfortable to sit in the dental chair.

2) Creating good oral health early in the pregnancy will ensure against the need for antibiotics or pain medications that may carry risk for the developing baby.

3) Chronic inflammation of the gums during pregnancy is associated with pre-term labor and low birth weight babies.  Early identification allows the mother to correct the issues causing the inflammation.

4) The hormonal changes during pregnancy can result in more inflammation and your dentist can show you how to minimize or prevent that inflammation.

5) Mom’s cavity rate (and dad’s too) will influence the cavity rate for the child.  Since cavities are contagious, I can’t think of a better time than the 9 months of pregnancy to take control and stop the cavities in your own mouth.

So, get a full dental examination very early in your pregnancy and make a plan to optimize your own health, the health of your pregnancy and ultimately the health of your baby.

Next week:  Start Now.  Things you can be doing before and during your pregnancy even before your dental examination.

Dr. Scott Thompson, Winning With Smiles - Dentistry for Children