PREGNANCY DENTAL CARE

During pregnancy, your body experiences physical changes and so does your oral cavity. Your gums will commonly show signs of change too. The usual oral manifestations of pregnancy are heightened gum inflammation, increased bleeding and increased risk of gum infections and gum disease. These changes are primarily due to hormonal influences but can be exacerbated by poor oral hygiene.

We, at North Star Dentistry, will provide you with optimum care for your gums and teeth and provide coaching to avoid discomfort and pain during pregnancy and lactation. 

Dental Work:

We usually postpone all elective dental procedures, such as whitening or amalgam replacement or other non-urgent dental work until after the delivery of your baby when it’s safer for you and your baby. We only perform emergency dental work or pain alleviation.

Medication:

We register the names and dosages of your current drugs and prenatal vitamins and any specific medical advice your doctor has given you. Certain drugs can affect the development of your baby and should not be given during pregnancy. In cases of dental emergencies, we will carefully prescribe drugs that are proven not to affect your baby or compromise your pregnancy.

X-rays:

Although our modern digital x-ray system allows for an extremely low radiation exposure, we try our best to avoid x-rays during pregnancy. If X-rays are essential in a dental emergency, we will use extreme caution and protective mechanisms to safeguard you and your baby. 

Cleanings:

Don’t skip your dental cleaning and checkup appointment simply because you are pregnant. Now more than ever, regular gum exams and cleanings are important because hormonal changes put you at increased risk for tender and spontaneously bleeding gums – a condition called pregnancy gingivitis. Pay particular attention to any changes in your gums during pregnancy. If tenderness, bleeding or gum swelling occurs at any time during your pregnancy, call us as soon as possible.

Morning sickness:

Let us know if your morning sickness is keeping you from brushing your teeth, we will show your techniques and recommend brands to help you overcome your challenges. Also, rinse your mouth out with water or a mouth rinse if you suffer from morning sickness and have bouts of frequent vomiting to reduce the acidity and permanent tooth erosion.

Oral Hygiene Instructions: 

We will provide you with detailed oral hygiene instructions to care for your teeth and gums during pregnancy and lactation, among which is to avoid frequent carbohydrate intake as this causes rapid took decay during pregnancy. We also encourage you to eat healthy foods, lots of fibre and protein and abundance of water.

Personalized Treatment:

We understand that every pregnant woman is unique and undergoes different physical changes during pregnancy. Additionally, each pregnancy trimester presents different challenges and requirements and we work with you based on your needs. Ideally, we see you every trimester and monitor your oral and dental health and plan your cleanings and treatments accordingly to ensure that we are proactive rather than reactive.

BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY!