Pregnancy is a special state in a woman's life, but it is not good for her teeth. What to look out for during pregnancy and how often to visit a doctor? Advice is provided by dentist Agnieszka Gładysz from NZOZ "Twój Lekarz".

During pregnancy, special attention should be paid to proper oral hygiene, because caries and periodontal disease can negatively affect the development of the fetus, causing, among other things, low birth weight and premature birth. The basic hygiene procedure is toothbrushing. During pregnancy, this is often difficult due to bleeding gums caused by the dilation of blood vessels in the gums as a result of changed hormonal balance. However, despite bleeding or pain, brushing should not be skipped. This can result in plaque accumulation, which causes tartar to build up.

Professional cleaning

If tartar appears, you should go to a visit and have your teeth professionally cleaned. You can also include chamomile or sage rinses, which will help alleviate symptoms of inflammation, or ready-made preparations available for sale.

Brushing should be done at least 2 times a day after meals for 3 minutes. After brushing, it is necessary to gently (!) clean all interdental spaces with dental floss. This will prevent plaque from building up between the teeth.

A few rules to remember

If a woman experiences nausea and vomiting, she should rinse her mouth with water and baking soda and postpone brushing for about half an hour to minimize the risk of erosion, or washing out.

• A pregnant woman should see a dentist at least twice for checkups – in the third and eighth months. If treatment is necessary, it should be initiated. Dental treatment can be performed throughout pregnancy, but the second trimester is most beneficial.

• Conservative treatment may be performed under local anesthesia with preparations generally used in dentistry, unless the woman has individual contraindications to anesthesia.

• The stress associated with severe toothache during pregnancy has a worse effect on the fetus than the anesthesia itself.

• Root canal treatment is also not contraindicated, as inflammation of the tooth pulp may affect the fetus worse than the treatment undertaken.

• Taking an X-ray is only permissible in cases of necessity, when the woman's health or life is at risk. In such cases, it is necessary to ensure that the woman's abdomen is properly protected using a special apron. Currently used devices and modern dental microscopes allow for treatment without the need for X-ray.

• Tooth extraction should also be performed in the second trimester.

• Prosthetic and aesthetic treatments should be postponed until delivery.