Oral Health and Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you have special oral health needs. Try to have a complete oral exam done before you become pregnant or very early in your pregnancy. All dental work that you need should be done before the pregnancy or between your fourth and sixth month.

You can get treatment for an urgent problem during pregnancy, but it can present risks to your baby. Treatments are most dangerous during the first three months of a pregnancy, but during the last three months you may get dental treatment. You may find the dental chair uncomfortable, though.

Some pregnant women get gum disease, a problem called pregnancy gingivitis. Pregnancy gingivitis may make you less likely to brush your teeth and floss the right way or as much as you should. Pregnant women with gum diseases are much more likely to have premature babies of low birth weight.

To control your risk for inflammation of your gums and oral disease:

• Start practicing good oral hygiene, if you haven’t already
• Eat a healthy diet
• Be thorough when brushing your teeth daily
• Floss your teeth and gums daily

Oral Health and New Mothers

What should you know:

• Don’t put your baby’s toys, spoons, pacifiers and other items in your mouth because the same germs that cause tooth decay in your mouth can be passed onto your baby
• Wipe your baby’s teeth and gums with a soft cloth or a baby’s toothbrush after each nursing and feeding; that quick action can help remove the sugars found in milk, which can cause tooth decay
• If you bottle-feed your baby, stop by age one
• Never put your baby to bed with a bottle of milk or juice
• Never place a pacifier covered with honey or sugar in your baby’s mouth when he or she sleeps

Pediatricians and pediatric dentists suggest that all babies have an oral exam between one and two years old. This exam checks your baby for any problems in the mouth and with the way you might be feeding him or her. You also can learn how to properly care for your child’s teeth and mouth.