Recently I have had a few patients that presented to our office with difficulties regarding their teeth during pregnancy….one even had a miscarriage possibly due to an infection of an impacted third molars. Sometimes we tend to forget the mouth is connected to the body! However, there are numerous studies showing the link between poor oral care and general health issues.
Do yourself, and your future child, a favor: make sure you have your dentist “clear” the mouth, meaning make sure there are no possible sources of infection that could effect your pregnancy. We have had to perform extraction on pregnant patients…not the most pleasant experience, since they cannot be sedated and the medications that are typically given to help with aftercare are limited due to the pregnancy.
The following is a summary of recommendations from JADA (Journal of American Dental Assoc.)
