Dental Care For Pregnant Women

Pregnancy is the time when you need to emphasise on oral health and there are certain reasons for doing it. Toothache is one of the most excruciating pains in the world. Regular visit to dentist can help you evade it.

Most of the time women who are pregnant experience nausea and vomiting which adds to the bacterium that accumulates on teeth. Also, pregnancy is a time when many hormonal changes take place in a woman’s body including her mouth. In certain cases, this can increase the risk of developing red, swollen or bleeding gums, commonly referred to as pregnancy gingivitis. If untreated, this condition could lead to the more severe gum disease periodontitis. Moreover, pregnancy gingivitis can produce a hormone that can result in uterine contractions. Hence, the ill-health of your gums may be responsible for

• Premature birth
• Low birth weight of babies

Both are intimately linked.

Thus, pregnant women should go for routine cleaning of teeth by a dentist. . It is advisable that if they plan to conceive they should go for a dental checkup before that, and if there is a dental condition, they should get it fixed. When you are pregnant second trimester is the best time to go for dental checkups. When you visit the dentist do inform him about your condition and try to avoid x-rays.

Brushing techniques—

Hold toothbrush at 45 degree angle and use a squiggle motion. Keep the brush in place for ten seconds.

Brush the inside, outside and the biting surfaces of the teeth.

A meticulous 3-5 minute brushing in the morning and night is enough to remove plaque.

Remember to floss to remove the particles that get lodged in your teeth.

Archana Darshan

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