The Importance of Seeing a Dentist While Pregnant
So, you recently found out that you are expecting? Congratulations! We couldn’t be happier for you. Now that you are sharing your good news, you are bound to be bombarded with lots of advice, whether wanted or not. It can be overwhelming, to say the least!
On top of that, you will be doing your own reading to try to find out all that you can about what is going to happen and how best to care for your body during this time. The onslaught of information may be too much, so you have to find the tidbits of information that are truly important.
Here’s one: see a dentist while you are pregnant! You will see this in books, and it sounds so strange that you may want to brush it off, but trust us when we say that seeing a dentist can mean the difference between a normal and a dangerous delivery.
Keeping Baby Healthy
From now until the end of your pregnancy, your goal is to keep your baby healthy. You will eat better than you ever have in your life, drink more water than you knew was possible, and double-check everything that goes in your mouth to be sure it is safe for your baby. It’s a really important time because it is the beginning of your journey into parenthood.
There are threats out there, though. The things you do and the decisions you make about your own health will impact Baby. That’s why it is so important that you do everything you can to keep yourself on track for a healthy pregnancy.
The Threat of Gum Disease
So, why is a dentist so important? Gum disease is a huge threat to pregnancies. Research connects gum disease with preterm delivery of babies as well as babies with low birthweight. This scenario of a baby being born too early or not at a healthy weight can be very frightening, so it is important that you make your appointment for a cleaning and exam soon after you discover that you are expecting.
Hormonal shifts
Due to the hormones that are now changing just about everything in your body, you are more susceptible to a gum disease infection. So not only is it scary to begin with, but you are more likely to get a gum disease infection while you are pregnant! You can see that this isn’t something to ignore!
Schedule an Appointment
Don’t be tempted to ignore the appointment. Go ahead and come in for a routine cleaning and exam. We won’t take any X-rays, and if you’re feeling nauseous, just let us know! We can work with you to make sure you get what you need without being ill.
Our primary goal during a pregnancy appointment is to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy! If we notice any signs of infection in your gums, we will take immediate action to get rid of the infection and help you prevent it from coming back!
Prevent Gum Disease While Pregnant
Coming into the office is important, but it’s also imperative that you practice excellent at-home care! This is the best way to prevent a gum disease infection from occurring. However, caring for your teeth while you are having morning sickness is a difficult situation! Often, the act of brushing or flossing can actually bring about morning sickness, so it’s important that you find a way to care for your teeth when you aren’t feeling very good.
If morning brushing makes you ill, it’s ok to delay until you are feeling better. You might get up, have some crackers and mint tea, and then brush your teeth after your stomach has settled.
Many women find that flossing their back teeth is really difficult when dealing with the sensitive gag reflex. We encourage those women to try flossers and just do the best they can of balancing oral health with morning sickness. If that means skipping for a couple of days, then so be it!
Contact Our Office Today!
Contact our office to set up an appointment for your dental cleaning and exam. Be sure to let us know you’re expecting so that we can be sure you have a completely safe experience. We can’t wait to see you very soon, so call today!
