PREGNANCY AND ORAL HEALTH
PREGNANCY AND ORAL HEALTH
Pregnancy is a wonderful period for every woman, accompanied by many changes, bodily as well as psychologically. Most of the future mothers devote themselves entirely to the child they are expecting, and neglect themselves and certainly their oral health, as well. The purpose of this pamphlet is to provide all the necessary information to future mothers, so that they will understand the importance of their own oral health, and to inform them what they must do in order to ensure the infant's good oral health in the future.
Question: What do I have to know about my health and my nutrition during my pregnancy?
Your health and nutritional habits during your pregnancy are very important not only for the development of the fetus, but also for the development of its teeth. By taking care of these factors you have already started to take good care of the health and the teeth of your infant.
Your bones and your nutrition, and not your own teeth, are the sources which provide calcium for bone and tooth development of your baby. The myth saying that the infant is «stealing» calcium from its mother, who then starts having dental problems, does not have any scientific base. In general your nutrition should include meat, milk, dairy products, fruit, vegetables, starch-containing foods; meanwhile you should not consume alcohol, nor smoke.
Pregnant women tend to have snacks between their main meals. Usually these snacks contain sugar in considerable quantities, which, in the end, is the factor that causes damage to their teeth. For this reason, it is recommended that you minimize consumption of these snacks between main meals.
Question: What kind of dental problems could we face during pregnancy?
Pregnancy is a time period in which secretion of many different hormones takes place. This hormonal disturbance might result in swelling, pain or bleeding of a pregnant woman’s gums. This is a problem that is related to pregnancy and disappears as soon as she gives birth. The severity of this situation can be improved with the systematic brushing of the teeth and the use of dental floss.
Question: Do I have to visit my dentist during pregnancy?
The regular examination of your teeth and gums during pregnancy is important, especially if you experience symptoms such as the ones described above. It is preferable to visit your dentist before the delivery, because after that you may have to wait for 3 months before you arrange an appointment with your dentist and have any dental work done. Of course you will have to inform your dentist that you are pregnant, because this might change the treatment plan or the medication that might be used in your case.
Question: What do I have to know about my health and my nutrition during my pregnancy?
Your health and nutritional habits during your pregnancy are very important not only for the development of the fetus, but also for the development of its teeth. By taking care of these factors you have already started to take good care of the health and the teeth of your infant.
Your bones and your nutrition, and not your own teeth, are the sources which provide calcium for bone and tooth development of your baby. The myth saying that the infant is «stealing» calcium from its mother, who then starts having dental problems, does not have any scientific base. In general your nutrition should include meat, milk, dairy products, fruit, vegetables, starch-containing foods; meanwhile you should not consume alcohol, nor smoke.
Pregnant women tend to have snacks between their main meals. Usually these snacks contain sugar in considerable quantities, which, in the end, is the factor that causes damage to their teeth. For this reason, it is recommended that you minimize consumption of these snacks between main meals.
Question: What kind of dental problems could we face during pregnancy?
Pregnancy is a time period in which secretion of many different hormones takes place. This hormonal disturbance might result in swelling, pain or bleeding of a pregnant woman’s gums. This is a problem that is related to pregnancy and disappears as soon as she gives birth. The severity of this situation can be improved with the systematic brushing of the teeth and the use of dental floss.
Question: Do I have to visit my dentist during pregnancy?
The regular examination of your teeth and gums during pregnancy is important, especially if you experience symptoms such as the ones described above. It is preferable to visit your dentist before the delivery, because after that you may have to wait for 3 months before you arrange an appointment with your dentist and have any dental work done. Of course you will have to inform your dentist that you are pregnant, because this might change the treatment plan or the medication that might be used in your case.
