Know Your Own Female Body

If you've found yourself pregnant, you may be considering skipping out on your biannual dental appointment. After all, dental work during pregnancy is unnecessary and even dangerous, right? Wrong! To learn more about dental work during pregnancy, consider the three myths below and the truths behind them.

Myth: Dental Work Should Be Avoided at All Costs During Pregnancy

Truth: While there are certain times during pregnancy when anesthetics and the like should be avoided (particularly during the first trimester), new studies show that dental treatment during pregnancy is safe.

Pregnancy can increase your risk of certain dental issues, such as gum disease and dry mouth, so it's important that you visit your dentist on a regular basis throughout your pregnancy. And while many pregnant women will avoid dental work that may require a local anesthetic during this time, there's no reason to avoid such work. In fact, avoiding dental work during pregnancy can actually cause more harm than good, especially since many untreated dental issues can lead to the development of an infection which can be spread to the baby.

Myth: A Fetus Can Draw Calcium from the Mother's Teeth

Truth: While enamel erosion is common during pregnancy, this is typically related to morning sickness and has nothing to do with calcium depletion caused by the baby.

So, if your baby isn't getting calcium from your teeth, where are they getting it from? The foods that you eat. It's important that you eat the recommended daily amount of calcium for a pregnant woman—between 1000 and 1300 mg—in order to ensure that your baby grows and develops at the normal rate.

Myth: Dental X-Rays are Unnecessary and Dangerous During Pregnancy

Truth: Overexposure to radiation can be harmful to a developing baby, but dentists take a number of precautions when taking dental x-rays of women who are pregnant. This means that if your dentist deems x-rays a necessity during your pregnancy, it doesn't need to be avoided.

Of course, many dentists will try and avoid x-rays on all patients if they aren't necessary, but the precautions taken are enough to protect you and your child from exposure. X-rays can be necessary for a number of reasons from gum erosion to cavity detection, and treatment for such issues is usually necessary to keep your dental health on track, even while you are pregnant.

To learn more about dental work during pregnancy and what you can do to avoid a number of pregnancy-related dental issues, consult with your dentist. To find a dentist near you, visit sites like http://www.davidjacksondds.com.