Your child's oral health during development- Pregnancy Dental Visits

Keep up with your 6 month dental checkups! When you schedule your appointment, make sure you tell the staff how far along you are and if you are taking any over-the-counter or prescription medications. Keeping the doctors informed helps as they treat and discuss your oral hygiene as you are pregnant. If you have tooth pain or discomfort, swelling or bleeding in your mouth, or any other changes that you discover call your dentist to discuss what steps should be taken to make sure you and your baby stay healthy. Sometimes x-rays might be needed to diagnose a problem, but there is no need to worry because there are methods to keep you and your baby safe while the x-rays are taken. Sometimes treatments will be postponed until after the birth depending on the risk of the pregnancy, other medical conditions and what your physician and dentist decide. After birth, if you need to have dental work done that requires medication while nursing, check with you dentist, physician and pediatrician to make sure it is safe for baby.

Your child's oral health during development- Expecting?

Pregnancy is an exciting time but also can be terrifying, especially if it is your first baby. There are so many things to think about and plan for during this time including choosing a physician, choosing a name, and buying all the necessary items including diapers, outfits and car seats. It can be very overwhelming and that’s why we want to help you during this time with guidelines for you and your baby’s oral health. As you know, your body changes while you are pregnant and one of these changes involves hormone levels. With hormone levels changing you may experience some changes to your gums. You may see your gums start to bleed or swell when you are brushing and flossing which could possibly be the start of pregnancy gingivitis which is an infection of the gums. To help prevent pregnancy gingivitis you need to keep your teeth clean by brushing your teeth for two minutes, two times a day with toothpaste that contains fluoride and flossing once a day. Sometimes it is even recommended to get your teeth cleaned a little more often than usual if you develop pregnancy gingivitis.