Why You Should Care For Your Teeth While Pregnant
teethBoth the pregnant woman and her unborn baby need the right dental care to ensure good health for them. Making sure that your unborn child’s teeth will be healthy entails that you take good care of your health and never take your dental health for granted. To achieve this, you have to go to your dentist as required, stick to a good and balanced diet, frequently floss and brush your teeth and lastly, avoid sweets and unhealthy food.
An infant’s teeth begin developing months before birth, in the fifth or sixth week of pregnancy, tooth buds appear and between the third and sixth month of pregnancy, the crowns of the teeth begin to form. The baby?s jawbone already holds the 20 primary or baby teeth once his mother welcomes him in this world. The crowns of these teeth are almost complete, but they will remain hidden by the gums until the baby begins teething.
While the baby in the womb develops his teeth, enough amounts of calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals and vitamins are required. When you eat a balanced diet, you receive an adequate amount of these nutrients to nourish both you and your child. Unlike what many believe in, the calcium needs of the unborn child is not taken from the teeth of his mother. Follow your physician’s recommendations about diet during pregnancy, since he or she is familiar with your specific needs.
The belief that every pregnancy takes away a tooth is simply not true. Pregnant moms tend to have tooth decay since they oftentimes forget to take good care of their dental health and snack on sugary foods a lot. Tooth decay problems are not very common during pregnancy but gingivitis or gum inflammation is very possible. This dental problem known as pregnancy gingivitis is caused by the surge of hormone levels during pregnancy. Along with this increase is the exaggerated reaction of the gums to the plaque along the gum line. High hormonal levels during pregnancy causes gingivitis but it can be deterred through proper dental cleaning and care on a regular basis.
There is no harm to an expectant mom and her child while she receives plenty of dental care and treatments. If an oral treatment is needed, it should be scheduled between the fourth and sixth month of gestation. Many women suffer from nausea, anxiety or nervousness during their first months of pregnancy. Women on their last months of pregnancy will find it difficult to sit on dental chairs. These gives meaning on why a pregnant mother must take her dental procedures between the fourth to sixth month of pregnancy only.
X-rays have to be done in order to determine if there are any oral problems especially ones that visual inspection cannot detect. There might be no need anymore for x-rays if you practice good dental health care prior to getting pregnant. If there is a great need for an x-ray examination, it must be ensured that the safety of the mother and her child are prioritized by limiting the amount of radiation, exposure time as well as using an apron made out of lead to protect the abdomen and the baby inside the womb. You can expect excellent dental health in your infant and less oral problems for the both of you if you stick to a healthy diet and adequate dental care regimen.
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