Ideally, dental problems should be resolved before pregnancy, because otherwise you may end up needing emergency treatments that are entirely unsuitable for a pregnant woman. During pregnancy, any medication, investigation or medical procedure must be approved and discussed with the obstetrician.
Today, seeing the dentist during pregnancy is not only safe, but also recommended. The rise in hormone levels during pregnancy can lead to possible problems:
Gum disease (gingivitis) – this is the typical oral pathology of pregnant women. The interdental papillae are red, enlarged and congested; these phenomena appear in the third month of pregnancy, peak in the fifth month, and after birth return to normal within only a few days. Periodontal disease – damage to the tooth's supporting tissue, with the appearance of false periodontal pockets, tooth mobility, etc. Dental caries – a rapid progression of carious processes has been observed, with pulp complications. In pregnancy the frequency of caries increases by 20%, and the risk is higher in the first half of pregnancy. Dentin hypersensitivity – a condition characterised by intense pain triggered by certain stimuli (hot, cold, sweet, sour);
During pregnancy a balanced diet, correct hygiene and close collaboration with the dentist are recommended. Fortunately, the days when it was said that a woman loses a tooth for every pregnancy are gone.
Dental treatments can be performed during pregnancy and many of them are not high-risk procedures. Postponing them, on the other hand, can cause complications, including for the foetus.
If dental problems appear during pregnancy, treating them as early as possible is recommended. Local-regional anaesthesia can be performed during pregnancy, but in the first trimester, when organogenesis takes place, because of their teratogenic effect, interventions under anaesthesia should be avoided as much as possible. Some clinical studies say that anaesthetic substances (xylocaine, articaine, mepivacaine) can reach breast milk, so interrupting breastfeeding for 24 hours is recommended.
As for dental radiographs, according to the American College of Radiology, no X-ray diagnostic device has a radiation dose high enough to cause adverse effects on a developing embryo or foetus, with the note that all dental radiographs, especially those taken during pregnancy, are considered safe only if done with specific protection (thyroid collar, abdominal apron).
Studies on medicines and substances used in the dental office show that only some of them can be used in pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding, and the choice is made after an interdisciplinary consultation between dentist and obstetrician.