Dentistry & Pregnancy – What to Know and What to Expect

If you’re thinking about starting your family, or if you’ve already conceived (congratulations!) here are a few things you want to check off your to-do list! You may be checking things off your list like doctors appointments, lab work, insurance phone calls but what you probably didn’t realize is that you need to schedule a dental check up too! 

The most important thing to do if you’re thinking of getting pregnant or already are is to see the dentist. You want to see a dentist to avoid dental emergencies that  may be developing or could be pre-existing. Being seen early and catching these emergencies can prevent exposure to x-rays and treatments.

Maintaining oral health while pregnant not only keeps you healthy but it helps keep your bundle of joy healthy as well!  It’s very common for pregnant women to experience pregnancy Gingivitis, which is inflammation in the gums that can present itself through bleeding gums, red, swollen, tender gums. It’s quite uncomfortable. The bacteria in your mouth can also lead to preterm labor and low birth weight, which is not something any mother wants to experience. It’s really important now more than ever to maintain brushing twice a day and flossing regularly.

Are you one of the many women that experience morning sickness? We know that in the moment while you’re not feeling your best your first thought probably isn’t about your teeth. While we can understand that we also have to remind ourselves about the damage that can occur through vomiting, acid reflux, all that fun stuff. The damage may not show up right away but it will lead to various problems with your teeth later on. It’s imperative to rinse with water, drink water regularly, and also have a pH balanced rinse or toothpaste. A PH balance rinse that we recommend here at Spath Dentistry is the CariFree CTx4. 

Keeping that oral pH at a certain level creates the perfect happy balance for your mouth. The bacterial acids are so acidic that they will melt the teeth in your mouth. It sounds scary, but the more water that you swish, even if you can’t swallow it, spit it out, whatever you need to do to keep that pH balance is really vital to your oral health. Something interesting that a lot of people don’t know is that when babies are born, they are not born with cavity causing bacteria in their mouth. Those bacteria are actually transmitted to the baby/child, by sharing a spoon or kissing the baby. It’s an important reminder to be very careful about what bacteria we are exposing these babies/children to. 

If you are wanting to grow your family or if you’re currently pregnant call Spath Dentistry to schedule your appointment or stop by the office in Newport Beach.