The Ins and Outs of Pregnancy Dental Care

The Ins and Outs of Pregnancy Dental Care

It can be one of the happiest times in a families’ life.  Pregnancy can bring out the best in a person, and it can make a woman want to make sure that they are taking the absolute best care of their health and body.  One question that we commonly hear from our clients is wondering if it is safe to have a dental visit while pregnant.  Not only is it safe, but it is an important thing to do for maintenance of your dental and natal health.  Let’s take a closer look at the ins and outs of pregnancy dental care, and what is recommended at this very important and joyous time.

First things first.  What is safe?

During your pregnancy, you can and should take care of all preventative dental visit items.  This includes cleanings, dental X-Rays and cavity filings, if needed.  Outdated health advice may have said that these items shouldn’t be done while pregnant, but nothing is further from the truth.  Lack of dental care during pregnancy can encourage or allow mouth infections to grow and cause harm to the entire body system and to the growing child.  In addition, excess hormones during the pregnancy months can cause the gums to bleed or to swell.  The swelling is known for trapping food particles and other bacteria in tough to reach corners of your mouth.  Pregnancy dental care ensures that you will remain free of complicating situations like periodontal disease, which several studies have shown to have a correlation to preterm birth.

What about more involved dental work?

If your pregnancy preventative care appointments reveal that you need a more involved dental procedure, it is best for the health of your unborn child that you have it evaluated as soon as possible.  Common pregnancy procedures include getting fillings, placing crowns and even getting a tooth extraction or root canal.  Our dental office can evaluate the state of the issue and let you know if it is healthy to postpone the procedure until after you have given birth, or if it is something you will want to address immediately.  We have found that many of our clients prefer to schedule any necessary procedures in the first or second trimester of pregnancy, as it could become more difficult to recline back for dental procedure work in the third trimester.

If you are planning to get pregnant, or are currently pregnant and don’t know the status of your dental health, schedule an appointment at our offices and we will get you taken care of in no time.

Note:  We have a new Dentist in the office!  Please welcome Dr. Cyntia Au Yeung.  Dr. Yeung graduated from UCLA School of Dentistry in 2005. She completed General Practice Residency at UCLA Medical Center in 2006 and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery internship at USC in 2007. She graduated from USC Keck School of Medicine in 2010. She completed internship in General Surgery in 2011 and completed Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency in 2013.