Author of the article:
Soldatova Lyudmila Nikolaevna
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Clinical Dentistry of the St. Petersburg Medical and Social Institute, Chief Physician of the Alfa-Dent Dental Clinic, St. Petersburg
During pregnancy, a woman's body undergoes various changes. She ceases to be the same as she was before the child was conceived. Such updates occur in her that change her entire usual state. The hormonal background changes, a hormonal surge occurs. At this time, “sores” may appear that the expectant mother had no idea about before. One of the probable diseases may be stomatitis. According to statistics, this disease is detected to one degree or another in every second pregnant woman.
Stomatitis is a common mucosal disease. This inflammation is common in both adults and children. According to statistics, during the period of bearing a child, stomatitis occurs in every second pregnant woman due to hormonal changes and weakened immunity in the pregnant woman.
During this period, for stomatitis to appear, only minor exposure to factors promoting the proliferation of infection on the oral mucosa is sufficient. Because of this, inflammation and ulcers subsequently appear.
During pregnancy, stomatitis manifests itself in the same way - the mucous membrane in the oral cavity becomes inflamed, redness of the lips, palate and cheeks becomes visible, which then turns into erosion and ulcers (white spots with a red border and plaque).
Do treatment methods for stomatitis depend on the timing of pregnancy?
First of all, we must keep in mind that the first, second and ninth months are the most undesirable in terms of any intervention. Therefore, it is better not to treat stomatitis during these periods. The methods depend on the form of the disease: candidal stomatitis is treated with antifungal drugs, viral - with antiviral drugs, bacterial - with antibiotics, and in the allergic form of stomatitis, contact with the allergen is excluded or antihistamines are prescribed. Whatever method is used, the dentist takes into account the patient’s condition and selects exclusively harmless means of therapy.
How to treat stomatitis in pregnant women?
Treatment of stomatitis in pregnant women is complicated by the fact that most medications for expectant mothers are prohibited. Restrictions are especially strict in the first trimester of pregnancy. And gentle therapy in the form of rinsing with herbal decoctions and more thorough oral hygiene is often ineffective.
That is why, at the first symptoms of stomatitis, the expectant mother should run to see a doctor. Firstly, the initial stage of the disease is treated faster and easier. And secondly, only an experienced specialist will be able to select therapy so that it does not harm the unborn baby, but at the same time copes with the disease.
Do not ignore preventive visits to the dentist.
It is enough to visit a specialist 1 – 2 times a year, which will allow you to promptly identify any dental problem at an early stage of development. This means that its elimination will be quick, easy and without complications.
By clicking the “request a call” button you agree to the personal data processing policy.
Medications
For any type of stomatitis, repeated treatment of the oral cavity with local antiseptics - furatsilin or chlorhexidine - is prescribed. Their task is to suppress pathogenic microflora.
Depending on the type of disease, medications also change:
- viral stomatitis
requires the use of antiviral agents (Acyclovir, Gerpevir). But all drugs in this group have an aggressive effect and are strictly contraindicated during pregnancy. Therefore, dentists prefer to make do with gentle local treatment and prescribe vitamins to boost immunity. And after the birth of the child and completion of the lactation process, it will be possible to carry out full treatment; - aphthous stomatitis
brings treatment of the underlying disease to the forefront. And here the dentist can only recommend rinses, pain-relieving ointments, and transfer the prescription of drug therapy to a gastroenterologist, phthisiatrician, venereologist, or infectious disease specialist. They will decide how appropriate antibacterial therapy is. Ideally, it should be postponed until after lactation; - allergic stomatitis
is treated with antihistamines (Loratadine, Cetirizine). But the most important and most difficult thing is to identify the allergen and completely eliminate contact with it. Sometimes allergy tests will be required to detect the pathogen; - advanced candidal stomatitis
is treated only with antifungal drugs (Futsis, Fluconazole). Many of them are safe for the fetus and mother, but, nevertheless, they should be prescribed exclusively by a doctor; - Treatment of catarrhal stomatitis
begins with relief of symptoms with local antiseptics, after which the expectant mother is recommended to undergo full dental treatment, including removal of tartar.
If stomatitis is too painful, the doctor prescribes local anesthetic ointments, sprays and rinses. For example, Hexoral Tabs can be safely used at any stage of pregnancy, as well as during breastfeeding. "Lidocaine Asept" is used in the treatment of stomatitis in pregnant women, but is strictly contraindicated for nursing mothers.
One of the most important tasks for stomatitis is to boost immunity. Therefore, in any case, the expectant mother will be recommended to take multivitamins and, separately, vitamin C, for example, in the drug “Cevicap”. It is important to strictly follow the dosage: in the later stages, excess vitamin C can cause premature birth.
Folk remedies
Treatment of stomatitis in pregnant women is a rare case when official medicine is not only not against traditional methods, but also recognizes their safety and effectiveness. Moreover, you can increasingly see rinses and ointments on sale, which are based on recipes passed down by our ancestors from mouth to mouth for many generations. A striking example is “Sage extract with vitamin C”, Dr. Theiss.
As a rinse for stomatitis, folk wisdom recommends using decoctions and infusions of herbs that have a powerful anti-inflammatory and healing effect.
| 1 | Sage decoction | Take 2 teaspoons of dried sage for half a glass of water, boil, leave to steep for 10 minutes. When the broth has cooled to room temperature, rinse your mouth with it for at least 1 minute. Afterwards, rinse your mouth with clean water. |
| 2 | Chamomile decoction | Take either 1 tablespoon of dried flowers or 1 bag of chamomile tea. Pour a glass of water, bring to a boil, leave to simmer over low heat for 5-10 minutes. |
| 3 | St. John's wort infusion | Pour boiling water over 20-30 g of dry St. John's wort herb. Leave for 2 hours. Afterwards, the broth needs to be strained and diluted with a small amount of warm water. |
| 4 | Yarrow infusion | Only the inflorescences of the plant are used to treat stomatitis! Pour 2 tablespoons of dried flowers into 1 glass of water. Bring to a boil and continue cooking for another 20 minutes. Strain. |
| 5 | Melissa decoction | Pour 1 tablespoon of lemon balm leaves into 1 cup of boiling water. Cook in a water bath for 15-20 minutes. Strain. Use after cooling. |
| 6 | Oak bark decoction | Pour 2 tablespoons of crushed oak bark into 2 cups of poda. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Leave the broth to infuse. When it cools to room temperature, strain. |
You need to rinse your mouth with herbs 4-5 times a day, and before going to bed, it is useful to hold a cotton swab moistened with a decoction or infusion directly on the affected areas of the mucous membrane for 10 minutes. Very important: only freshly prepared decoction and infusion have medicinal properties. Therefore, you need to prepare them daily!
If you don’t have the time or desire to prepare it yourself, you can buy calendula tincture at the pharmacy. For rinsing, you need to dilute it in the following proportion: 1 teaspoon to 100 grams of water.
Alas, if the dentist has diagnosed viral or fungal stomatitis, herbal decoctions will be useless.
A decoction of rose hips and blueberries improves the immune system for stomatitis. Moreover, it is useful to consume the latter in any form: eat fresh berries, prepare mousses from frozen blueberries and brew their leaves instead of tea.
What should be the prevention of stomatitis during pregnancy?
The most important thing is to take good care of your oral cavity. Ask your dentist to recommend a suitable antibacterial toothpaste. Be sure to use mouthwash and dental floss. A healthy diet is also of great importance: balance your diet, do not get carried away with sweet carbohydrate foods (bacteria love them very much). Take vitamins - they will help support the body during the difficult period of bearing a baby.
Stomatitis during pregnancy: before and after photos
Diet for stomatitis
In order not to aggravate the situation with stomatitis, you should avoid sweet, spicy and salty foods. It is not recommended to eat mushrooms and legumes. But most importantly, all food should be of a warm, delicate consistency, so as not to further injure the mucous membrane. It is very important that the menu is rich in vegetables and fruits. It is better to stew vegetables and prepare nutritious cream soups from them. And fresh fruits are especially good in the form of smoothies.
In some cases, diet alone will be enough for the expectant mother to forget about stomatitis after 1-2 weeks. But only a doctor can rule out the bacterial, fungal or viral nature of the disease, in which it will not be possible to cope with the disease so easily.
Causes of aphthous stomatitis
The exact cause of this disease remains unclear. It is assumed that HRAS is of an allergic nature; allergens can include: food, medicine, toothpastes, dust, worms.6,7 It is also assumed that the cause of the disease is an autoimmune reaction.8 A hereditary predisposition to this disease can be traced.
Predisposing factors:
- diseases of the digestive system (gastritis, gastric ulcer, cholecystitis, Crohn's disease)
- dysbacteriosis
- stress
- deficiency of iron, vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, C
- chronic tonsillitis, otitis and rhinitis
Classification of stomatitis by the World Health Organization7
| CLASSIFICATION | A COMMENT | ||
| classification: | According to the degree of damage to the mucous membrane | a comment: | 1) Superficial (catarrhal, fibrinous) 2) Deep (ulcerative, necrotic) |
| classification: | Due to the occurrence: | a comment: | 1) infectious (viral, bacterial, fungal) 2) traumatic (mechanical, chemical or physical injury) 3) allergic 4) arising from systemic diseases |
| classification: | According to the clinical course: | a comment: | 1) acute 2) chronic |
Catarrhal stomatitis
Characterized by redness, slight swelling, burning of the mucous membrane. It is observed with influenza, acute respiratory viral infections, and drug-induced damage.
Fibrinous stomatitis
It manifests itself as single painful aphthae, which are covered with a white coating. Afta is a superficial defect of the oral mucosa of a round shape. It appears in mild forms of aphthous stomatitis.
Ulcerative stomatitis
manifests itself in the form of deep defects in the oral mucosa - ulcers. Observed in traumatic stomatitis.
Necrotizing stomatitis
Characterized by ulcers that are covered with necrotic plaque. It is observed in ulcerative-necrotizing gingivitis, a complication of measles.
Acute stomatitis
It has pronounced symptoms, as a rule, it appears for the first time or recurs extremely rarely, once every few years. Also occurs due to acute trauma. Patients complain of severe pain, difficulty eating and sometimes even talking, general weakness, fever, and bad breath. Acute stomatitis with incomplete or improper treatment can become chronic.
Chronic stomatitis
Characterized by constant relapses, as a rule, this occurs when the immune system is weakened. May occur as a result of regular, moderate trauma. Clinical manifestations are less pronounced; this type of stomatitis always requires first of all eliminating the cause of the disease.
Signs of the disease
First news
The first signs of the disease usually appear at 2 months of pregnancy and reach a peak at 8 months. If there are no other aggravating factors, symptoms will regress after childbirth.
Symptoms of gingivitis in pregnant women
Signs of the disease are no different from the usual symptoms of gingivitis and include:
- Loose, red, very sensitive and swollen gums;
- Bleeding gums when brushing with a toothbrush or special floss;
- Unpleasant foul odor or taste in the mouth.
Prevention of HRAS
Prevention should be aimed at monitoring the state of health in general, treating chronic diseases, and it is necessary to undergo regular examinations regarding the existing disease. Hardening and strengthening the immune system have a good effect. You need to visit the dentist to monitor your oral health once every 3-4 months to ensure timely detection of relapses. You should avoid using toothpastes, hygiene products with dyes or identified allergens. Taking antibiotics should only be done under the supervision of a doctor. It is recommended to avoid strong psycho-emotional stress and regularly carry out wet cleaning of the premises.
It is worth paying attention to Tantum® Propolis .
Tantum® Propolis
Propolis has an immunostimulating effect, promotes healing, vitamin C, which is part of it, is responsible for regeneration, participating in the synthesis of collagen.
Propolis also has antiviral and antifungal effects. Therefore, vitamin therapy Tantum® Propolis is an effective means of preventing stomatitis12 Find out more
First aid at home
If the symptoms of the disease occur to a pregnant woman on a weekend or at night, and it is not possible to immediately consult a doctor, then before the appointment, available means can be used to relieve the symptoms, for example, rinsing with a baking soda solution. The solution is prepared at the rate of 1 tablespoon per glass of water. It is necessary to rinse every 30 minutes.
Also, to alleviate the symptoms of the disease, you can use decoctions of well-known medicinal plants: chamomile, nettle, St. John's wort, calendula. The prepared liquid must be cooled to room temperature and rinsed with it in the mouth.
To enhance the therapeutic effect, you need to choose the right toothpaste. It is better to choose a product that has an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect. It will help small wounds and mucous membrane defects heal faster.
Impact of the disease on the course of pregnancy and child development
Untreated stomatitis is extremely dangerous for the development of the fetus. Bacteria actively multiply in the oral cavity. Lack of treatment leads to the spread of infection through the blood vessels and can provoke pathologies in fetal development.
In severe, advanced forms, increased temperature and heat are observed, which leads to dehydration of the mother’s body and negatively affects the child.
If not treated in a timely manner, the disease can pass from the mother to the embryo.
