Regular Dental X-Rays are Safe and Important for Your Health During a Pregnancy
During a pregnancy, your body is in a unique state. With all your doctor’s appointments and preparing your nursery, there is also a lot going on.
With all the changes in your body and the anticipation of your baby’s arrival, it isn’t likely that your teeth are in the forefront of your mind.
Even though they’re easy to forget about, it’s important to give your teeth some love during this time. The adjustments in your hormones change the way your body handles bacteria in your mouth, and this can affect your baby. It’s important for pregnant women to take extra care of their bodies, and this includes oral health.
What Changes Do I Need to Make in my Oral Care While Pregnant?
As long as you are brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and visiting the dentist every 6 months, you’re in good shape!
X-rays are crucial for allowing us to see dental issues you may have that are developing below the surface. At Panorama Dental, we want our patients to stay healthy during their pregnancy, so we’ve compiled some reasons why X-rays are vital for staying healthy during a pregnancy.
Oral X-Rays Are Safe for Pregnant Women
One important factor that pregnant women tend to shy away from is a regular dental X-ray. You’ve likely heard that the radiation from X-rays makes them unsafe for expectant mothers, but this is no longer true. In this day in age, X-rays have become digitized, so only a very small amount of radiation is present. Before the procedure, most of your body will be covered by a protective apron, keeping you safe from the already minuscule radiation.
Changes in Your Body Can Put You at Greater Risk for Decay
Dietary Changes: When you’re pregnant, your diet changes. This is both normal and healthy. While an increase in macronutrients is important for you to function while pregnant, it isn’t the best thing for your teeth.
Morning Sickness: While traditional belief says that morning sickness strikes in the morning, it can occur at any time of day. When your teeth are in contact with your stomach acid, this can wreak havoc on your enamel over time.
Brushing Can Fall to the Wayside: Pregnant women tend to have a heightened gag reflex, tender gums, and an increase in fatigue. These symptoms make it difficult to whip out your brush and floss at the end of a long day.
Pregnancy Gingivitis: Hormonal changes in pregnant women put them at a particularly higher risk of gingivitis, a condition that causes painful, swollen gums. If you don’t treat gingivitis, this can result in more serious gum issues.
A Proactive Approach is Important
When you get an X-ray, you allow your dentist to thoroughly evaluate what’s brewing beyond what we can see during a normal check-up. This allows us to get proactive and prevent problems before they get too big.
At any time during your pregnancy, you can safely undergo routine procedures like cavity fillings, but you will have a much more pleasant procedure if you can check these off your list during your first trimester.
Panorama Dental hopes your pregnancy is healthy and happy!