Pregnancy and Dental Health, Your Questions Answered Here

Congratulations on your pregnancy! We know for many women, pregnancy is a time of pure happiness and joy. We also know that pregnancy affects a woman’s entire body. You have symptoms from head to toe if you’re pregnant. Some women’s skin color even changes around their faces and necks! With all those bodily changes, we don’t want you to neglect your teeth. If you have questions about pregnancy and dental health, we have all your answers here.

Dental Guidelines for Pregnant Patients

First, if you’re brushing and flossing your teeth, you’ve gone a long way toward keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Make sure you are brushing with a toothpaste that contains fluoride. This chemical helps to keep your teeth strong and resistant to the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease. In fact, you need to keep your routine as healthy as possible during pregnancy. The better your health is, the better the environment is for your baby. Poor health habits can lead to problems during pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia.

Common Dental Problems During Pregnancy

Even if you are practicing good dental hygiene, you may not be immune to issues during pregnancy. Some common problems could happen. First, you may have bleeding gums. Bleeding gums are common in pregnancy because of a condition called pregnancy gingivitis. Those pregnancy hormones make your gums more likely to react to bacteria in your mouth. That is what is causing your gums to bleed. Try brushing for two minutes twice a day. You might also want to brush after you eat to minimize bleeding gums.

Loose Teeth

You might also feel that you have bad teeth after pregnancy. There is an old wives’ tale that says you lose a tooth with each baby. It’s not true, but you might feel your teeth are looser. You can thank the pregnancy hormones for that. They cause your ligaments and tissues to loosen. However, if you are using good dental habits, this “loosening” is temporary.

Morning Sickness

If you are one of those lucky women who has morning sickness, you are in good company. Morning sickness affects more than half of pregnant women. Extreme morning sickness affects about 10 percent of pregnant women. Getting sick every day is no fun. Make sure you are rinsing your mouth with baking soda or a mouthwash, so those acids don’t remain. If brushing your teeth is contributing to your morning sickness, change toothbrushes, toothpaste, or the time of day you brush.

What Procedures Are Safe During Pregnancy?

If you are coming to see us, and you have a cavity, you may worry. You might wonder, “Is dental anesthesia safe during pregnancy?” If you do have a cavity, you will want to get that cavity filled. We suggest you have any dental procedure meant to fight infection, even if you are pregnant. If you are one of those people who usually has procedures with sedation, talk to us. We will be able to tell you what types of sedation you can use during pregnancy.

Do you want to get your teeth whitened or get veneers placed? Do you need other cosmetic procedures? In general, we would advise you to wait until after your baby is born. While some procedures are necessary during pregnancy, such as filling cavities, others should wait. We don’t want you or your baby to be at risk.

If you need a dentist, why not give us a call? We love working with pregnant women! Bringing a baby into the world is an amazing thing, and we want to help you through the process. Contact Maiden Lane Dental. We are in the Financial District of NYC.

Pregnancy and Dental Health, Your Questions Answered Here

Maiden Lane Dental Associates

• MLD702@gmail.com


• 212.509.4585


• 80 Maiden Lane, Ste 702 New York, NY 10038