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Thinking about Pregnancy? How’s your oral health?

We are here to help regardless. Many women believe dental treatment is not safe during pregnancy. In fact, healthy oral hygiene is very important in the development of your baby. It’s true that the hormonal changes of pregnancy can lead to “pregnancy gingivitis.” This produces swelling, bleeding or tenderness in the gums. Pregnant women with periodontal (gum) disease may be at a higher risk of problems such as early delivery or low birth weight babies. And the children of women with current tooth decay, or a lot of decay in the past, are more likely to get cavities before the age of 5.

Of course, in certain circumstances such as heart trouble, diabetes, or bleeding disorders, consulting with your physician for special instructions is a requirement.

According to the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (NMCOHRC), radiographs, pain medication, and local anesthesia are all safe in aiding oral disease management. It is best to have dental procedures completed early in the second trimester. The first trimester is vital in the development of your baby’s organs. This is the time when the fetus is more likely to be affected by the mother’s exposure to harmful chemicals, medicines, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco.

The third trimester presents other risks in the final stages of development of your baby. But, regardless of the trimester, urgent dental treatment should not wait. Examples of urgent dental problems include a broken tooth, an infection or another problem that causes pain.

Got Nausea?

It is very important to rinse immediately after vomiting. Acid from the stomach can attack the enamel. Weaker or eroded enamel attracts staining and tooth decay.

Overall, your dental health is very important to maintain before, during, and after pregnancy. A healthy smile is a happy life for you and your baby.

Teeth have many nicknames and baby teeth are no different.  You may hear the names primary teeth, deciduous teeth, baby teeth, and milk teeth; these are all referring to the same set of teeth!  A lot of times, these nicknames lead people to believe these teeth aren’t very important.  THAT’S WRONG!

Baby teeth are very important for your child for a number of different reasons.  We’re going to chat about some of these today!

1. Chew, Speak, Smile! These are all things you want your child to be able to do and excel at! Without baby teeth, these can be very difficult.
2. Space Maintenance! Baby teeth hold space in the jaws for permanent teeth (adult teeth) while they grow under the gums. If a baby tooth is lost early, surrounding teeth can move and drift and the permanent teeth can have a tough time coming into the mouth, they may even become stuck!  If a baby tooth must be lost early, we often must make a space maintainer appliance to keep the surrounding teeth in place.
3. Healthy Habits! One benefit of baby teeth, is they allow children to begin healthy habits early! Children can learn to care for their baby teeth so that when the permanent ones come in, they will have all the skills to maintain and keep them for the rest of their lives!

A lot of times when we find cavities in baby teeth, parents don’t want to fix these teeth since they are going to be lost.  Cavities in any teeth left untreated will grow and can cause pain and infections.  Because your teeth are connected to the rest of your body, an infection in the mouth can be very detrimental to your child’s overall health!  You can read more about your child’s baby teeth from the American Dental Association.

We recommend your child see the dentist by the age of one or when they have their first tooth.  Our goal is to establish a relationship with your child so they can have the best experience at the dentist!

Don’t forget to help your child brush their teeth until they can write their own name in cursive!

Dental visits can be a scary experience for some. We are always here to help, but it takes two to tango! We are so proud of everyone who schedules an appointment, makes it to the office, and completes the x-rays and exam.  This is often the point where patients say, “I just want my teeth cleaned and I will wait on any treatment. I am not hurting and really don’t want to spend the money.”  Most people do not understand the consequences of delaying dental treatment.

Our goal is to diagnose decay (cavities) and treat early. This will prevent pain, infection, and expensive treatment in the future.

Almost all consequences of delaying dental treatment can be attributed to dental decay growth.  Once a tooth has a cavity it will not “go away” on its own.  It will continue to grow!  No dentist can predict how quickly decay will spread.

1. Fillings can be bigger and more expensive. Fillings are categorized by how many surfaces of the tooth the filling will cover.  The more surfaces, the more expensive the filling is.  As decay grows to more surfaces of the tooth, the cost of the filling will be more.
2. A filling can no longer fix the tooth. If a cavity spreads to the cusps (pointy parts of the tooth), a crown (or cap) may be necessary to repair the tooth.  Crowns are significantly more expensive than fillings.
3. The nerve may become involved requiring a root canal. As decay grows into the tooth, if it reaches the nerve space, you may experience pain and swelling.  Once a cavity reaches the nerve the only way to save the tooth is with a root canal.
4. The decay can grow to the point the tooth isn’t repairable and must be extracted. As decay grows down the tooth, there are points in which the tooth can not be repaired due to the anatomy of the tooth.  Once it reaches these areas, the only option is to remove the tooth.  Keep in mind, repairing a tooth is almost always cheaper than replacing a tooth!

Dr. Wells recommends routine dental care with x-rays, exams, and cleanings. If treatment is recommended, have it completed as soon as possible in order to limit the growth of the decay and the consequences involved!

Call to schedule your visit with Dr. Wells today!