Carrying around another life inside you is a great focus for the mind and for actually noticing what you are putting into or onto your body. You may not think twice about foods, drinks, medicines, cleaning products and their ton affect your body, but now that you are nurturing a baby inside, you probably find yourself thinking about such things many times a day.
You have probably become extremely cautious and a natural part of this caution will involve your trips to the dentist in Richmond. What is safe? And when?
At Sheen Dental, your dentist in Richmond, we know that it is even more important for pregnant women to visit the dentist for check-ups. Your dental needs are more important than ever because hormonal changes in the body increase the risk of gum disease.
Dental issues in pregnancy
What happens is that within two months of conception, some women – and this is not at all uncommon – find that they are suffering from pregnancy gingivitis, with red and swollen gums caused by increased levels of progesterone, which affects the body’s response to bacteria. The dentist in Richmond can remove any build-up of plaque and can apply a fluoride treatment to protect the teeth from decay. You may need to come more often than the usual six months if you suffer from pregnancy gingivitis.
Safety first
On the bright side, many oral health treatments — including teeth cleaning, x-rays, pain medication, and local anaesthesia — are safe throughout pregnancy, if carried out by an experienced dentist in Richmond.
The best thing to do is to call us and let us know you are pregnant, especially if you have treatment already planned. This will help us customise your dental care and keep an eye out for health problems.
Planned pregnancies
If you are planning to conceive, it’s a good idea to get any dental problems addressed beforehand. You can still have treatments. The best times are during the second trimester and the first half of the third trimester. Check-ups are fine at any stage in the pregnancy, but it is better to wait until after the birth for procedures that require surgery.