PLANNING PREGNANCY AND PRENATAL DENTAL CARE

Pregnancy and Your Oral Health

Whether already pregnant, or preparing for pregnancy, schedule a dental visit as soon as you can.

It is of value for every expectant mother to receive preventive prenatal dental care during the prenatal period as an essential part of overall prenatal care. Dental care during pregnancy is safe, recommended for your health, and will help you have a healthier baby.

Planning for your baby child’s future smile can also begin before birth. Your child’s baby teeth will set the foundation for the adult teeth of the future.

Your Oral Health May Affect Your Pregnancy And Your Baby’s Future Oral Health

Now, more than ever, the importance of your mouth as a gateway to the body’s overall health is relevant. Pregnancy hormones can affect the oral cavity and may make dental problems more likely. A pregnant woman’s oral disorders may, in turn, also affect her pregnancy. Further still, the state of a mother’s oral health can have an influence on the future oral health of her child.

At Melbourne Dentistry, we provide a comprehensive oral care plan that includes prevention, treatment and maintenance throughout your pregnancy, and while breastfeeding. This will enable you to achieve your best oral health during this important time of life.

We teach you how to best manage the hormone-mediated changes that occur in your mouth to decrease the likelihood of pregnancy gingivitis and help prevent oral disorders such as gum disease that are associated with poor pregnancy outcomes.

Caring For Yourself, Caring For Your Baby

If you are experiencing vomiting with nausea during pregnancy, management strategies to protect your teeth such as rinsing your mouth with water (or ideally, water with a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, when available), and using specially recommended remineralising toothpastes can help mitigate the damaging effects of stomach acid on your tooth enamel.

By attending to your oral health, you will be caring for yourself and caring for your baby.

Dental care to eliminate your tooth decay and control the oral flora in your mouth, along with dietary advice and tips to modify common parenting routines (such as sharing food, spoons and pacifiers with your baby), will reduce the likelihood of decay causing bacteria being transmitted to your baby and help protect your child from early dental problems.

At our practice, we believe these routine precautions should be observed by all care-givers attending to your child.

Pregnancy Dental Treatment

Pregnancy is a teachable moment, when you will be taking the time to learn about optimising your health, the health of your developing baby and how to best raise your child.

When you achieve and enhance your own dental health, you will improve the oral health of your baby, oral hygiene behaviours in your home and attitudes to dental care of your entire family.