Is it possible to treat teeth during pregnancy? What happens to teeth during pregnancy, how to preserve and strengthen them during an “interesting situation”? Vitamins for teeth during pregnancy

Pregnancy is a wonderful time, but during this period it is important that the expectant mother’s body is fully supplied with all nutrients necessary to meet the needs of mother and baby. Otherwise, there is a high probability that the future mother’s dental health will be at risk. Why do women in an “interesting situation” have bad teeth and how to keep them healthy?

What happens to teeth during pregnancy?

Pregnant women complain of the appearance and exacerbation of diseases such as periodontitis, caries and gingivitis. If not treated promptly, affected teeth can subsequently be lost.

During pregnancy, women experience weakened immunity and changes in hormonal levels. In addition, at this time, eating habits change and the composition of saliva changes. These factors provoke a disruption in the reaction of the gums to the formation of plaque, which is based on accumulations of bacteria and their metabolic products.

Left unattended, adhesive deposits on the enamel surface eventually transform into tartar, which leads to tooth damage. The resulting plaque can cause the development of gingivitis, an inflammatory disease of the gums, which over time often develops into periodontitis.

Severe toxicosis provokes the appearance of carious processes. Nausea interferes with the normal absorption of food and does not have the best effect on appetite.

With frequent vomiting and heartburn, the acidic contents of the stomach have a destructive effect on the enamel.

The influence of dental health on the condition of the expectant mother and fetus

Even at the stage of pregnancy planning, it is recommended to visit a dentist and treat damaged teeth or remove them if they cannot be saved (we recommend reading: is it possible to remove teeth using anesthesia during pregnancy?). During the period of bearing a child, you need to protect the future baby from all sorts of things. negative impact.

A carious cavity is a source of pathogenic bacteria and numerous infections. In addition, the following problems are associated with damaged teeth:

• if a tooth reacts painfully to cold or sweet foods, the expectant mother will not be able to eat properly (we recommend reading: why does a tooth react to cold and what to do?);
• general intoxication of the body with advanced caries will affect the health of the pregnant woman; it can also provoke symptoms of chronic hypoxia or the threat of delayed fetal development;
• Against the background of a general deterioration in health and the appearance of toxicosis, which is especially noticeable in the first trimester, problematic teeth will provide the expectant mother with additional discomfort.

Dental problems interfere with proper chewing of food or completely force a woman to give up many healthy and favorite foods. This can cause a lack of nutrients, which will negatively affect the intrauterine development of the child.

Is it allowed to treat and remove teeth during pregnancy?

The optimal period to visit the dentist is considered to be the second trimester of pregnancy (from 14 to 24 weeks). In the first and third cases it is not recommended to do this due to maximum quantity"critical periods". In the second, nausea and vomiting disappear, and the small volume of the abdomen allows you to sit comfortably in the dental chair.

To reduce pain at home in the first and second trimesters, it is permissible to use Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. Women who are in an “interesting situation” have their teeth treated only under local anesthesia; general anesthesia is not used. X-ray examinations are prescribed extremely rarely for pregnant women.

If a damaged tooth cannot be saved, it is better to postpone its removal if possible. If there is an urgent need, surgery should be performed. Constant severe pain and chronic inflammation will not have the best effect on the condition of the expectant mother and fetus.

Implantation will have to be postponed for a while, since the period of engraftment of implants will require significant expenses from the expectant mother’s body. In some cases, this process is carried out under the influence of medications that lower immunity to eliminate the possibility of implant rejection, which is contraindicated during pregnancy.

How to strengthen teeth during pregnancy and prevent their destruction?

For expectant mothers, doctors have developed special recommendations for the prevention of dental diseases and oral care. Following them will help maintain healthy teeth and strengthen them during pregnancy:

Dental health directly depends on caring for them and adhering to the principles of rational nutrition and healthy image life. Following the simple recommendations given above will help expectant mothers protect their teeth from the effects of negative factors and keep them healthy and beautiful for a long time.

It turns out that our women consider it normal when, while carrying a child, their teeth suddenly begin to deteriorate. They justify this state of affairs by the fact that the child needs calcium to build a skeleton, and they are ready to tolerate it. The opposite is the case in developed countries. There it is generally considered unacceptable to lose even one tooth during pregnancy. Western doctors believe that for the development of a baby’s bones, the necessary substances must come from outside, but not from the mother’s teeth.

Food products cannot provide the full amount of calcium and vitamins, so doctors prescribe vitamin and mineral complexes to pregnant women, specially designed for expectant mothers. Most dentists are inclined to favor the American Materna complex, but due to its high cost, not every woman can afford to buy it.

Also, the vitamin-calcium preparation “Upsavit” is quite expensive. Presented in the form of tablets, easily soluble, the result is a very tasty drink with the aroma of fruit. It is also considered good vitamin complex"Gendevit" is domestically produced, but pediatricians warn that due to its large quantity Vitamin D should be taken with caution. Excessive use of this complex is fraught with premature overgrowth of fontanelles in infants.

Women should not be upset by limited financial resources. There is always a compromise. For example, doctors advise women to take the Materna complex twice a week, as well as Gendevit three times a week. On other days, domestic calcium preparations, which are inexpensive, will be useful.

You should visit the dentist at the stage of pregnancy planning. But, if you missed this moment, then visit the dentist as soon as possible. As a rule, a visit to the dentist is a mandatory procedure when registering a woman.

As for toothpastes, during pregnancy, “Blend-a-honey” is considered the best, due to its high fluoride content. You should also follow some tips to protect your teeth. It is recommended to brush your teeth after every meal. If a pregnant woman works, then in this case, chewing gum can be an alternative to toothpaste. But this does not mean that a woman should walk from morning to evening with this chewing gum. In addition, it is harmful to the stomach.

At least 3 minutes should be spent brushing your teeth, using sweeping movements. In this case, harmful plaque is removed from the teeth. With horizontal movements, as practice shows, plaque is driven into the gums. Most women wonder how to actually know if their teeth have been brushed well enough? There is a banal method for this using iodine. It is necessary to pass cotton wool soaked in iodine over the teeth, which will turn brown with the remaining plaque; if there is no plaque, the teeth will remain light.

You can use fuchsin tablets, which are special detectors and are freely sold in pharmacies. When applied, plaque on the teeth turns intensely pink. In such cases, brushing your teeth should be continued until it is completely eliminated.

In addition, it is recommended to rinse after each meal, both with regular boiled water and with herbal infusions, and for hard-to-reach areas on the teeth you should use dental floss or floss. A medium-hard toothbrush is recommended, and in case of bleeding from the gums, it is preferable to change it to a brush with soft bristles. It is not recommended to use an electric toothbrush during pregnancy.

Many people know that the consumption of highly digestible carbohydrates contributes to the appearance of caries. We are talking primarily about fructose and sugar. In contrast, there are carbohydrates consisting of glycogen or starch. Such carbohydrates are not dangerous for teeth - they can decompose in the small intestine to final products.

Note that excess carbohydrates in the blood qualitatively affects the level of saliva mineralization, thereby reducing the protection of teeth. Excess carbohydrates reduce immunity, and also reduce resistance to any microbe, namely they cause caries. The enamel is based on hydroxyapatide, a unique mineral in which the level of calcium constantly varies. In case of excess calcium levels in a newborn, the structure of the mineral will not be destroyed. In case of its deficiency, destruction will be observed.

By the way, according to medical observations, children whose mothers were fond of sweets during pregnancy are endowed with more low level mineralization of enamel. In addition, they have an impressive prevalence of dental caries and a large increase in caries. Cookies, it turns out, are the most dangerous product while carrying a child. It also easily sticks food to the teeth.

A pregnant woman should pay special attention. Only balanced and proper nutrition will have a beneficial effect on the mother’s entire body, and on the condition of her teeth, in particular. Doctors often advise mothers to eat not for two, but for two. Thus, they warn a pregnant woman against consuming products whose benefits are rather questionable. In addition to their absolute uselessness, they will also bring extra pounds to a woman and destroy tooth enamel, which is extremely undesirable. This applies to all sweets.

conclusions

By following all the dentist's recommendations, you can keep your teeth healthy. But don't be alarmed if your teeth are far from perfect. Modern dentistry may well offer a pregnant woman a number of techniques and tools to solve their problems quickly, efficiently and painlessly.

The only thing that can stop mommy is the high price of the services provided. After all, as a rule, such procedures are offered in private clinics, a number of whose services are aimed at providing assistance to pregnant women. Therefore, it would be better to comply with mandatory preventive measures. It will be better if you don't allow dental disease, than to treat later, and for a lot of money.

In addition, every woman should know some precautions when going to the dentist. A pregnant woman should not be treated with arsenic, painkillers containing adrenaline and its derivatives, install dentures and whiten teeth, or delay tooth treatment if it aches or hurts.

You need to take care of your teeth, no matter what. But pregnancy increases compliance with all hygienic rules regarding dental care. Don’t risk your teeth, as well as the future health of your child, go to the dentist without fear and in a timely manner.

While carrying a child, a woman undergoes changes in her body, and the need for microelements increases. On the one hand, there is a developing and growing fetus, on the other, the depletion of one’s own resources. A common problem in pregnant women is deterioration of the condition oral cavity.

Women complain about the loss of calcium, which is supposedly taken by the child, so the teeth are destroyed. This is not a completely correct assumption. There are a sufficient number of reasons affecting the condition of teeth and gums expectant mother.

The oral cavity, containing nutrients, is readily colonized by bacteria. When microbes settle on the teeth and gums, they form plaque that is difficult to clean off. In a hygienically clean cavity, the barrier to infection is bactericidal saliva and immunity.

Infected teeth and gums develop caries, gingivitis and other diseases, including periodontitis. The disease destroys soft fabrics and jaw bone. Through damage to the gums, pathogenic microbes enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body.

Untreated oral cavity causes:

• acquired diabetes mellitus,
• stroke,
• cardiovascular diseases.

It is possible that infection may enter the uterine cavity, which will cause pregnancy complications, miscarriage, premature birth or fetal growth retardation.

Invisible, silent oral diseases become a problem during pregnancy. These include untreated caries, tartar, and insufficient oral hygiene.

During pregnancy:

• The need for calcium, which enters the body with food, increases. The missing element is removed from the bone tissue.
• The bactericidal effect of salivary fluid, which strengthens tooth enamel, is reduced.
• Carious teeth can be destroyed under the influence of toxicosis. With toxicosis, nutrition changes and is disrupted acid-base balance saliva.
• Poor hygiene makes the problem worse.
• Changes hormonal background, immunity decreases, blood circulation in the gums worsens. When scratched they bleed.
• Plaque becomes tartar, and soft tissues become inflamed. Against the background of changes in hormones, the body’s reactions proceed faster than in the woman’s usual position.

Gingivitis, an infection of the oral mucosa, appears. These are the consequences of dental plaque. The gums swell and bleed. Untreated disease becomes periodontitis - gradually resolves bone, pus forms, the teeth begin to loosen.

Dentist advice: prevention of dental diseases in pregnant women

To maintain her own health and the health of her baby, the expectant mother needs:

Visit the dentist regularly: before pregnancy and once every trimester. If necessary, the frequency of visits increases.

Brush your teeth properly in the morning and evening with a soft brush.

Use therapeutic and prophylactic pastes with calcium and anti-inflammatory compounds. Do not use pastes with fluoride.

Eat properly. Less sweets, water or low-fat milk instead of carbonated drinks, fresh fruit instead of fruit juices.

After eating, remove plaque with a brush, floss, chewing gum, or eat an apple. The saliva released makes the acid of the bacteria neutral.

• 7-8 min. massage the gums with your fingers using an anti-inflammatory paste.
• Take walks in the fresh air every day.
• Take care of the enamel coating of the tooth, do not scratch it with a hard object.
• Do not consume cold and hot food or drinks at the same time.
• Rinse your mouth with anti-inflammatory infusions with herbs of sage, chamomile, mint.
• After vomiting, in case of toxicosis, neutralize the acid by rinsing with a soda solution (1 tsp per glass).

When visiting the dentist, warn about pregnancy, as there are restrictions on x-rays, pain relief, and whitening procedures.

Conclusion

Gynecologists have confirmed that the appearance of an infection in a pregnant woman is a serious cause for concern. Diseased teeth are invisible pockets of dangerous bacteria. Being weak point the body, make themselves known when treatment becomes dangerous - in the first trimester.

It is important to cure caries before pregnancy and, if necessary, get rid of the remains of a rotten tooth, take care of your oral cavity, and visit the dentist on time.

During pregnancy and lactation, it is especially important that the body is supplied with nutrients that can satisfy the needs of both mother and child. Otherwise, a woman will not be able to maintain the health of her teeth during pregnancy. There is also a high probability that the baby’s teeth will also be of poor quality.

Rule #1: Avoid hot-cold combinations

If you like to enjoy hot coffee and then wash it down with ice-cold juice or mineral water, then it’s better to forget about this habit. This combination is very harmful to teeth, especially during pregnancy. Remember that both the skeleton and teeth of the unborn child are created from substances that it takes from the mother’s body.

The enamel of a pregnant woman's teeth is the most sensitive and extremely susceptible to damage, and therefore anything that could cause further destruction should be avoided. Therefore, it is recommended to drink lukewarm rather than hot drinks. The same rule applies to food products.

Rule #2: Get plenty of calcium

Young women 20-30 years old should receive 1000 mg of calcium daily. After 30 years, calcium binding slows down, so it is necessary to increase the daily dose to 1100 mg. During pregnancy, the need for calcium doubles, so the expectant mother should receive 2000 mg of this mineral (partly from food, and partly from medications developed specifically for pregnant and lactating women).

A lack of calcium in the body will primarily affect your teeth, as they will be more susceptible to decay. Therefore, your diet should include foods rich in such a valuable mineral: low-fat yogurt and milk, fresh cabbage, tofu cheese, white beans, broccoli, spinach, chard.

Rule #3: Don't forget about magnesium

The role in preserving teeth is also very important. This mineral acts in collaboration with calcium, affecting the functioning of blood vessels, that is, circulation, including the vessels of the dental pulp.

The choice of foods rich in magnesium is very wide: it is recommended to consume milk, brown rice, nuts, bananas, potatoes, soy... Be sure to add wheat germ to your diet - this is a real treasure trove of vitamins, minerals and microelements. It is enough to add one tablespoon of seeds to a salad or other dish every day to provide your body with enough vitamins B and E.

Rule #4: Beware of "crash" diets

All young women want to regain their former slimness as soon as possible. This desire is understandable, but it should be noted that so-called flash diets (weight loss over a very short period of time) are harmful to teeth, especially if the mother is breastfeeding.

Fast diets imply insufficient consumption of fats, minerals and trace elements, which has a bad effect on teeth and the entire body as a whole. Therefore, if you are planning to lose weight, it is enough to eat moderately and variedly, and also move more.

Replenish your diet with healthy fats found in olive and linseed oil cold-pressed, fish and nuts, and simply avoid animal fats. Eat grains, whole grains, seeds, milk and dairy products, tofu, fresh vegetables and fruits every day.

Rule #5: Choose foods rich in vitamins and minerals

Vitamin A

This is a vitamin that dissolves in fat. Therefore, it is found in fat-containing foods such as meat, cheese, egg yolk, cream... Since such foods are quite high in calories (with the exception of young cheese and fish), add it to your diet in moderation.

It is very good to get this vitamin by eating foods rich in beta-carotene (this substance is converted into vitamin A in the body). Beta-carotene is found in orange and red fruits, berries and vegetables, primarily carrots, apricots, tomatoes, tangerines, raspberries, strawberries... It is best to combine them with vegetable oils, since vitamin A is better absorbed this way. For example, you can make a salad of tomatoes, cheese and grated carrots, adding two tablespoons of olive or pumpkin oil to it.

Vitamin E and fiber

Vitamin E protects the arteries and thus the blood vessel cells in the dental pulp. Its richest sources are sunflower seeds, sunflower oil cold pressed, almonds, walnuts and wheat germ.

In addition to vitamin E, fiber contained in bran is also important for dental health. You can add them to soup, stew, or mix with yogurt and eat for breakfast. Provided that whole grains are present in your daily menu, additional intake of bran is not necessary. If you have digestive problems, bran should be consumed with caution.

Zinc and selenium

Zinc and selenium have been proven to have a positive effect on dental health. The best sources of selenium are Brazil nuts, fish, mushrooms, cucumbers... The body's daily requirement for selenium can be met by eating 2-3 Brazil nuts per day.

If you eat boiled beef or chicken once a week, and three nut kernels every day, you can provide your body with a sufficient amount of zinc.

My gums itch terribly! It would seem like nonsense - take a brush and go... But it was not so: as soon as you touch them, they bleed. This is gingivitis - the scourge of all pregnant women. If you leave everything as is, you may lose your tooth. So what? After all, they say, the more children you give birth to, the more teeth you will lose.

They say, but you don’t listen. Nowadays, only lazy people lose teeth. If you properly care for your “pearls,” you can maintain a Hollywood smile until old age. Ideally, you should tidy up your mouth, of course, even before pregnancy, then you won’t be in any danger. If you didn’t have time to get your teeth in order or weren’t planning a pregnancy, that’s also not a problem! Modern dentistry will help preserve teeth, although there are some restrictions for expectant mothers. For example, X-rays cannot be taken, which means that treatment of the roots of the teeth will have to be postponed until later. The first thing you should do is prevent dental diseases. After all, the expectant mother’s chances of losing a tooth increase several times.

During pregnancy, the concentration of calcium and phosphates in saliva decreases, so tooth enamel becomes less durable. Frequent vomiting in the first trimester increases the acidity level, which disrupts the acid-base balance. Hormonal changes impair blood circulation. The gums begin to bleed, sometimes even acquiring a bluish tint. Poor oral hygiene can lead to periodontitis.

Therefore, dentists advise brushing your teeth at least twice a day and be sure to massage your gums. To do this, take an anti-inflammatory paste, grasp the tooth with your thumb and forefinger and make light movements from the tooth to the gums. This massage will improve blood circulation and help cope with itching.

When “there are already two of you,” you want to eat more. A bun here, a cookie there. As a result, excess carbohydrates lead to weakened immunity. The body's resistance to microbes decreases. It is microbes that cause caries. Therefore, you should not abuse foods containing sugar and glucose. Cookies are considered especially harmful. This food sticks to the teeth and helps the microbes do their job. But, if you've already eaten something like that, you should just brush your teeth.

But expectant mothers should definitely eat cottage cheese. The body's need for calcium increases, which is used to build the child's skeleton. If it is not enough, then the baby gets what it needs from the mother’s bones and teeth. Therefore, doctors advise taking a vitamin-mineral complex. The best source of calcium is eggshells. It needs to be heated in a stove, ground into powder and added to your favorite dishes. In the last trimester, the child no longer needs calcium in such quantities. Its excess can lead to the child gaining excess weight.

You can check the condition of your teeth using a home test. To do this, soak a cotton swab in iodine and rub it over the tooth. If the teeth remain light, then there is no plaque; if they turn brown, then you need to brush your teeth more thoroughly.