Is It Safe – Dental Treatment During Pregnancy ?

By: Smileway Dental

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Being a women, pregnancy is very delicate stage of their life. A lot of women wonder if it is safe to visit the dentist when pregnant, the answer is YES and it is actually recommended to keep regular dental visit during pregnancy because the hormones can changes in your gums to swell, bleed and trap food causing increased irritable to gum. Dental work such as scaling polishing, cavity filling and crown should be treated to reduce the chances of infection.
​Which is the best trimester for dental work? During the first trimester any dental treatment beyond cleaning and emergency care is best avoided. It is during this time that most of the organs and organ system of the developing fetus is formed. However, after 1st trimester the majority of formation is complete and the remainder of fetal development is devoted primarily to growth and maturation. The safe and best time to perform dental treatment, is in the second trimester. By that time the development of the fetal  is complete and the risk of side affect is lower .
Also in SmileWay Dental Clinic USJ, if needed for treatment, we suggest that the women to receive filling, undergo tooth extractions or have root canal treatment during the 2nd trimester. This is because they don not experience higher rates of problem at birth. It is not dangerous to have dental work during third trimester, but the increased size of the body can make lying from the dental chair for any extended period of time very un comfortable . Keep in mind that if you have oral pain or swelling you might need immediate treatment. If not treating the infection during pregnancy outweigh the possible risk of the medication used during dental treatment. Your health care provider will carefully monitor the use of any antibiotics or pain medicine.
​Which medication are safe during pregnancy?  Pain medication should be restricted to acetaminophen (Tylenol). Other pain medicine such as aspirin and (NSAIDS ibuprofen and naproxen) should be avoided. Antibiotics such as penicillin, amoxicillin, cephalosporin and clindamycin are generally considered safe to use during pregnancy. But tetracyline related antibiotics are not recommended because they have been found to cause staining in the teeth of developing baby.

​What about X-rays during pregnancy? While dental x-rays especially digital, are considered safe during pregnancy when used with proper technique and lead aprons, most expectant mothers and dentist try to avoid them unless absolutely necessary.

Remember, it is not only safe to go to the dentist while pregnant, it is recommended. If you are nervous about it, you are not alone. Do let us know about it. We will give you some advice on how properly care for your teeth and gums during particularly time.
Written by:
Roxane
Edited by:
​Dr Jon

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