Hyperesthesia is a problem associated with exacerbation of tooth sensitivity, which quite often occurs during pregnancy, even if the woman has not previously encountered it. Hyperesthesia requires mandatory consultation with a dentist.
Reasons for visiting the dentist during pregnancy
It is not uncommon for pregnant women to put off visiting the dentist. As a result, a small problem, the timely solution of which would not take much time, ends in tooth loss and the development of chronic oral diseases by the end of pregnancy.
A woman needs to be aware of 3 main reasons why it is important for her to seek specialized help in a timely manner:
- Changes in hormonal levels in the body affect the development of oral pathologies;
- Insufficient calcium content in the body is observed in most women, especially in the second and third trimester, which causes tooth decay;
- During the period of bearing a child, an important property of saliva changes: its disinfecting ability is lost, as a result of which pathogenic microbes multiply in the oral cavity. The acidity level of saliva changes, which leads to the destruction of tooth enamel.
Advice! Don’t consider bad teeth during pregnancy to be a small problem that will resolve itself. It is better to do a preventive examination rather than get lost in guesswork and worries. Contact only specialists who have experience in treating teeth for pregnant women. Will they know when, how and with what treatment can be carried out?
Preventive measures
Prevention is preferable to treatment. To prevent such an unpleasant symptom as dental hypersensitivity from bothering you, just do the following:
- Introduce foods rich in vitamins C and D, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus into your diet.
- Strengthen your immune system.
- Avoid foods that contain a lot of acid.
- To brush your teeth, use soft-bristled toothbrushes and preventive toothpastes.
- Do not use whitening pastes.
- Remove tartar at the dentist regularly, avoiding large deposits.
At what stage of pregnancy is it recommended to treat teeth?
There are no time or deadline restrictions. If your teeth are sick, you need to treat them immediately. But if the situation is not critical, it is better to wait until 14 weeks (i.e. after the first trimester) and during this period go to the doctor.
It is forbidden to use anesthesia in the first months of pregnancy
, since at this time vital organs are formed.
In the period from 14-15 weeks, the baby’s life is already protected by the placenta. During this period, it is allowed to take anesthetics containing minimal amounts of adrenaline.
X-rays are allowed (in particularly difficult cases).
In the third trimester, the fetus already puts significant pressure on the aorta, which should be taken into account when choosing a position in the dentist's chair. Positioning on the left side will help prevent fainting; a drop in pressure will help.
Video about dental treatment in general and implantation in particular
Symptoms
Hyperesthesia is an instant, painful reaction of teeth to external stimuli:
- cold or hot food;
- air temperature changes;
- sour or sweet drinks;
- spicy or salty foods.
The reaction begins quickly and is accompanied by acute, unbearable pain, but as soon as the stimulus is eliminated, the pain immediately subsides.
Let's figure out what can happen if this disease is not treated in a timely manner:
- Increased pain that will continue regardless of the presence of an irritating factor.
- The list of irritants can grow greatly.
- The spread of hyperesthesia to a large number of teeth, it can develop into a systemic stage.
- The appearance of frequent headaches.
Diseases that require treatment during pregnancy
Once in the dentist's chair, if you are taking medications, let them know. This will help you choose the safest treatment tactics.
During pregnancy, adhere to hygiene, use toothpastes containing fluoride, and no toothpastes with a whitening effect!
If you have tooth decay?
Caries can be treated simply, without painkillers, but the process should not be started, even if the pain is tolerable, otherwise tooth decay will reach the pulp and then removal of the nerve cannot be avoided, therefore, more serious treatment. In the process of treating caries, there are no restrictions on the fillings used; you can use conventional or photopolymer fillings.
Often one of the reasons for the development of caries during pregnancy is frequent toxicosis. For example, using toothpaste with flavoring additives when brushing your teeth can provoke vomiting. And the acid contained in vomit is dangerous for tooth enamel. Therefore, it is recommended to rinse your mouth with plain water as often as possible.
Gingivitis or stomatitis
Inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) during pregnancy can occur in a hypertrophied state due to constantly occurring hormonal imbalances in the pregnant body. If gingivitis occurs, you must immediately seek professional help from a dentist; under no circumstances should you self-medicate or use folk remedies.
. Ignoring the problem will lead to a complex form of periodontitis, which will negatively affect not only the health of the mother, but also the health of the child. Thus, recent studies have shown that periodontitis poses a threat of miscarriage or even the occurrence of pathologies in newborns.
In case of a quick visit to the dentist, a mouth rinse will be prescribed, an application to gradually relieve inflammation, and the doctor will carry out professional cleaning of the oral cavity.
The weakened immunity of a pregnant woman contributes to the occurrence of stomatitis in the oral cavity. Swelling and small ulcerative lesions bring discomfort in the oral cavity, so it is better to consult a dentist. Most likely, he will recommend a spray that is harmless during pregnancy.
Some statistics...
45% of pregnant women come into contact with a problem such as gingivitis. Their gums swell and bleed, discomfort and bad breath appear. For most of them, these problems go away on their own after childbirth if they followed the recommendations of specialists.
Periodontitis or pulpitis
Pulpitis is a direct consequence of advanced caries, which leads to inflammation of the nerves, and periodontitis is the process of inflammation around the root tissues. In both cases, the resulting inflammation must be treated using anesthesia and x-rays. True, modern devices have low-power radiation, which allows treatment to be carried out practically without causing harm. In such cases, it is better to contact paid dental clinics, or clinics that have modern equipment and consumables.
I don't want to eat, but my mouth is watering
During pregnancy, drooling is common. This type of toxicosis does not pose a threat when it is moderate. Sometimes drooling is a consequence of uncontrollable vomiting. When it takes on a grandiose scale, solivation can reach 1 liter per day.
In this case, the appetite is impaired, the patient loses weight, her health worsens, and the patient must be admitted to a hospital. Treatment is necessary to avoid significant fluid loss. Moreover, with severe salivation, maceration of the skin around the mouth occurs, which can become an entry point for infection.
Some toothpastes have astringent properties: “Localut”, “Oral B”, etc. To prevent irritation, apply a rich cream to the facial skin. X-RAY
Is it possible to have x-rays and teeth removed in early pregnancy?
Pregnancy is such a crucial period for a woman that any ailment causes fear in them. They don’t want to go to doctors, fearing that the treatment will harm the child. What to do if you have a toothache and the pain becomes unbearable? There cannot be two opinions: only the dentist can make a decision on treatment. If it is necessary to clarify the diagnosis, the woman is offered to take an X-ray of the tooth. According to experts, it is undesirable to do this in the first three months of pregnancy. But at the discretion of the doctor, in exceptional cases, which include acute toothache during pregnancy, it is possible to perform x-rays at low power using a lead blanket.
X-ray of a tooth
Performing dental x-rays in pregnant women in the early stages for their safety requires compliance with a number of conditions, namely:
- the woman’s body is covered with a lead apron that does not transmit x-rays;
- the x-ray beam should be directed strictly at the diseased tooth;
- It is strictly forbidden to expose the gum areas adjacent to the diseased area to rays.
The amount of radiation received during an x-ray is comparable to 2 hours of exposure to the sun.
Application of anesthesia
The composition of modern anesthesia allows for local anesthesia of teeth for pregnant women. Every dental therapist is well aware of the special anesthesia used during treatment. Therefore, there are general recommendations for anesthesia that you should know:
- use anesthetic drugs that do not have a harmful effect on the health of the unborn baby. It is required to warn the dentist about the current month of pregnancy and your general health;
- use only local anesthesia so that the medicine does not enter the circulatory system;
- It is prohibited to use lidocaine as an anesthetic for pregnant women, due to the fact that the medicine can harm the normal development of the fetus: it slows down breathing and causes an increase in blood pressure.
Tooth extraction or prosthetics
In difficult cases, the dentist may recommend the pregnant woman to remove the diseased tooth if it cannot be treated or restored. This procedure does not pose any danger to the fetus. But you should be wary of hypothermia or overheating of the wound after tooth extraction, because... The inflammatory process of an open wound may begin. Therefore, the misconception that tooth extraction during pregnancy is contraindicated is just a misconception. As well as one more thing – dental prosthetics.
Modern dentistry allows for dental prosthetics, provided there are no complications or the presence of disease in the pregnant woman.
What are the dangers of a mother’s bad teeth?
The threat of a mother’s diseased teeth to her child is quite tangible. If a pregnant woman has bad teeth, this can lead to the following diseases in the child:
- The severe pain caused by an untreated tooth has a direct impact on the body of a pregnant woman. This impact has a direct bearing on the future condition of the child. Experts call this threat a psychotraumatic factor.
- Infections that enter the mother's body from a diseased tooth negatively affect the child's body. This can cause a wide variety of complications in the newborn.
- During toothache, intoxication can also occur. This happens due to periodontal damage. Intoxication is determined by elevated temperature, as well as indigestion and toxicosis. This can lead to hypoxia in the fetus, and in the mother to late gestosis.
- The use of prohibited drugs in dental treatment during pregnancy. If doctors give you an anesthetic injection and then offer to perform an application, you should ask what medicine they are going to use. Pregnant women should not use the following drugs:
- Lidocaine is a drug used for anesthesia. The consequence of taking this medicine is weakness in the body, causing dizziness and low blood pressure.
- Sodium fluoride - this drug is used to cure tooth decay. This medicine may cause tachycardia, which may adversely affect the development of the fetus.
- Imudon is a drug used to cure diseases in the oral cavity. The consequences of using this medicine are still unknown.
Features of anesthesia for pregnant women
During pregnancy, drugs that have minimal effects on blood vessels are used for pain relief. They also cannot cross the placenta and affect the baby.
Lidocaine is contraindicated during pregnancy. It can cause a sharp decrease in blood pressure, cramps and weakness.
Today, the best anesthesia option for pregnant women remains drugs based on anticain:
- Ultracaine.
- Altrifryn.
- Ubistezin.
- Alfacaine.
The listed drugs do not constrict blood vessels, which would be harmful for the expectant mother. They also have a local effect, so they do not affect the baby.
Dental implantation during pregnancy
A dental implant is a prosthetic procedure in which a multi-component implant structure is inserted into the jaw and subsequently fuses with it. This is an important operation from an aesthetic and medical point of view. Sometimes situations arise when emergency implantation is necessary. Otherwise, the patient risks her health - an abscess may form with further decay.
When is it undesirable to undergo dental implantation?
Doctors categorically do not recommend any surgery in the first trimester of pregnancy. This is the period when the fetus is actively forming vital organs. If at the current stage of the “situation” toxicosis is already severely manifested, it is also better to refrain from going to the dentist. It is worth refraining from prosthetics if a pregnant woman is afraid of any surgical operations. The resulting stress after the dentist has been visited and the treatment is completed will have a negative impact on further pregnancy.
Is it possible to think about prosthetics after childbirth?
After childbirth, there is also no need to rush into dental implantation. Dental implantation can be performed 2-3 months after childbirth (if health allows). But doctors believe that it is better to postpone manipulations in the dental office for at least a year. Because During the mother's recovery, even after successful dental surgery, complications may arise that will require her to take medications again and stop breastfeeding for a while.
Video about dental treatment during pregnancy
