Why do teeth deteriorate during pregnancy?

Causes of dental deterioration

Affected masticatory organs are incompatible with pregnancy, since actively progressing caries begins to destroy the mother’s teeth, poisoning her body and the fetus. Low defenses of the body lead to deep caries, pulpitis, and periodontitis. If a tooth is broken, the body may be deficient in calcium. Teeth may crumble, since in the 2nd trimester the need for this element increases due to the formation of the baby’s skeletal system. It takes a lot of mineral to build hard tissue. If there is not enough of it in the mother’s blood, it will be washed out of her bones, incisors, fangs, and molars.

A few respond to this by demineralizing the enamel. This increases sensitivity. The thin enamel layer will be vulnerable, and the chewing organs may become loose. Old fillings can fall out because bacteria easily penetrates under them. What to do, how to stay healthy? If teeth crumble during pregnancy, this fact cannot be ignored. You need to visit a dentist who will develop a suitable therapeutic program. Main causes of problems:

Hormonal changes, changes in the number of progesterone and estrogen;
Suppression of the immune system when dental plaque thickens;
Increased vulnerability of the oral mucosa leads to bleeding gums, and traumatism leads to inflammation and infection;
“Aggressive” microorganisms are activated;
The amount and composition of saliva changes, it becomes more acidic, which reduces the protection function;

Why does caries occur in pregnant women?

A pregnant woman has many prerequisites for the development of caries and its complications:

The developing fetus requires nutrients, including minerals. If they are deficient in the diet of the expectant mother, he has to borrow micro- and macroelements from the woman’s body. As a result, she first develops increased sensitivity of the tooth enamel, and then caries can quickly develop. To prevent such a situation, the expectant mother should prevent the occurrence of nutrient deficiencies in her diet, and also take additional supplements (they are prescribed by the doctor leading the pregnancy).
A pregnant woman can also quickly develop caries if she has poor oral hygiene. Plaque bacteria form a dense film, under which an acidic environment is created that washes away enamel minerals.
Against the background of reduced immunity, any infection becomes more active, even completely harmless for healthy and non-pregnant women. If the protective properties of saliva sharply decrease, caries, gingivitis, and stomatitis rapidly develop. Dental caries during pregnancy and existing chronic diseases worsen, causing pain and stress.

Pregnancy itself is not a contraindication for the treatment of caries and its complications. You just need to notify your dentist about your situation and tell him a specific deadline.

Why should pregnant women have dental caries treated?

Caries in pregnant women can be painful, and the use of medications during this period is sharply limited - many painkillers simply cannot be taken;
The general emotional state of the expectant mother suffers greatly, which can cause increased uterine tone and threaten miscarriage;
Caries may be accompanied by exacerbation of toxicosis, various digestive disorders, and fever;
There is a risk of complications of caries with pulpitis and/or periodontitis, the treatment of which is much more difficult;
Some of the cariogenic bacteria have a pathological effect on the tone of the uterus in the first trimester of pregnancy.

How to prepare for pregnancy to save your teeth

Among the many causes of pathology of the gums and chewing organs of women in labor, there is a lack of sanitization of the oral cavity on the eve of pregnancy. That is, the expectant mother ignored professional hygienic cleaning when she planned to bear the child. Many did not treat existing dental diseases at all before pregnancy. Therefore, such women first of all develop problems in the oral cavity. Of course, therapy can and should be done while the baby is pregnant. But in order to minimize the risks of damage to the fetus, it is better to eliminate all problems on the eve of pregnancy.

Today, dental treatment during pregnancy is possible with anesthesia. The doctor selects a gentle drug that does not harm the embryo. But, surgical operations could have been avoided if the expectant mother had diagnosed the oral cavity and completed a therapeutic course before pregnancy. Sometimes it happens that dentists even recommend removing wisdom teeth in advance, so as not to carry out such serious manipulations after conceiving a child. Therefore, it is better to put the oral cavity in order before pregnancy, even at the stage of planning conception.

It is necessary to visit the dentist at least 2 times during pregnancy. Dentists often recommend that women take dental vitamins during pregnancy. Such courses will help eliminate mineral deficiency. If a woman has not prepared for pregnancy, the antenatal clinic will offer her not only the necessary tests, but also a visit to the dentist.

Other causes of tooth decay in expectant mothers

There are some other reasons that also lead to tooth decay in a woman during pregnancy. So, one of the additional issues may be gingivitis , that is, inflammation of the gums. With gingivitis, symptoms such as pain, bleeding, and redness are often observed. Bleeding gums occur when brushing your teeth and even while eating. These inflammatory conditions in the mouth promote the accumulation of microorganisms that begin to destroy teeth and worsen the symptoms of gingivitis. Also, in places called periodontal pockets, hard tartar begins to accumulate, on which even more pathological bacteria settle. Such processes, if treated insufficiently or completely absent, can lead to the loss of diseased teeth.

The infectious component present and accumulating in the mouth creates a permanent focus of the disease,

which can spread not only to neighboring teeth, but also to many other organs of the female body. Women who have inflammatory gum diseases, such as periodontal disease, gingivitis, periodontitis and others, can lead to the development of late toxicosis in the last weeks of pregnancy.

Knowing all this, a woman should immediately consult a doctor when the first symptoms of dental and gum disease appear.

Oral care during pregnancy

The oral cavity during pregnancy and lactation requires increased care and careful care. Basic hygiene rules do not differ from typical standards. But when a woman does not properly care for her teeth, she has serious problems. Gums may bleed and teeth may break off. At an appointment with a dentist, they identify and draw up a therapeutic plan, which includes activities to teach proper care. Observations have shown that insufficient hygiene activates the processes of crown destruction. When toxicosis occurs, many people undergo formal teeth cleaning. In addition, to get rid of nausea, women in labor constantly eat something. In such a situation, pathogenic bacteria quickly multiply, hard tissues are destroyed, and not only caries develops, but also periodontitis and pulpitis.

Today, dentists offer pregnant women caries treatment using the Icon system. Infiltration is used when the tissue is affected by no more than 1/3 of the thickness of the dentin layer. Pregnant women tolerate this therapy well. It does not harm the embryo, since no anesthesia is used. Caries of several units can be removed in one session. The procedure is painless and lasts 20-30 minutes. Basic principles of proper oral care:

Since the enamel becomes thin and vulnerable, use a brush with soft or medium bristles.
The brush must be changed after 2 months.
It is not recommended to use pastes that contain a lot of fluoride, so as not to harm the little one.
It is better to use pastes with a high calcium content.
You should brush your teeth twice a day and rinse your mouth after eating.
Once every 6 months you need to have your teeth professionally cleaned using approved methods.
Promptly carry out therapy of masticatory organs using gentle technologies.

At the time of pregnancy, treatment of caries, non-carious lesions, periodontitis, and tooth extraction for medical reasons is allowed. The principles of hygiene during pregnancy do not change. But the procedures must be performed carefully, taking into account the processes that occur in the body of the expectant mother.

The effect of caries on pregnancy and the fetus

Uncomplicated caries does not affect pregnancy and fetal development, but the manifestation of pain can cause increased irritability and emotionality in patients, which can already have a negative impact.

The high rate of development of destructive processes in pregnant women contributes to the development of various complications:

pulpitis,
periostitis of the lower or upper jaw,
formation of abscesses,
development of phlegmon in facial tissues,
sepsis or osteomyelitis.

The direct impact on the fetus due to caries can be provoked by infectious and septic complications, which increase the risk of intrauterine infections in the fetus, causing infection of the amniotic fluid and premature birth.

Safety of mother and baby: temporary prosthetics

The second trimester is considered the most favorable time for prosthetics during pregnancy. This is a period of relatively calm hormonal levels, during which the expectant mother, as a rule, feels consistently good. In such cases, it is advisable to install temporary crowns or temporary removable immediate dentures. The type of structure will depend on the defect in the dentition. This may be the complete absence of a tooth or its dilapidated state, which does not allow it to perform its functions, etc.

Temporary crowns made of composite materials are installed on weak teeth that need support while bearing a child. They are also necessary if the orthopedist’s work began before pregnancy and the treated teeth need protection from negative influences during pregnancy and lactation. This temporary measure allows you to postpone the date of prosthetics to a more convenient date and preserve the condition of existing teeth in order to avoid complications before prosthetics.

Temporary removable devices are used to restore the functionality of the jaw during pregnancy. Depending on the location of damaged or completely lost teeth, removable dentures are divided into different types. The number of missing teeth also plays an important role. For example, the loss of one molar is easily replaced with the help of a neat artificial structure attached to adjacent healthy teeth using special invisible clasps.

Our orthopedists solve prosthetic problems of any complexity. Expectant mothers are a special category of patients that require the most careful and attentive approach. The process of choosing a temporary prosthesis involves specialists from various fields. An important condition for the work is to coordinate the use of any structures with the attending gynecologist.

The need for prosthetics that arose during pregnancy should not bring any worries to the expectant mother. The only thing you need is to get a consultation with an experienced, highly qualified specialist. Kuntsevo is an institution where treatment and prosthetics, as well as, if necessary, tooth extraction for expectant mothers, are carried out in a specialized department equipped at the highest level.

Indications for temporary dental prosthetics during pregnancy

the onset of pregnancy in the process of preparing teeth for permanent prosthetics (completion of work in a short time - up to 6 weeks of pregnancy);
lack of chewing function due to loss of molars;
psychological discomfort when losing the frontal group of teeth;
malocclusion, risk of chipping and injury to teeth during pregnancy;
fracture of the tooth wall;
defect in the existing permanent structure.

The use of temporary orthopedic products while expecting a child has great functional significance. The absence of teeth can lead to undesirable consequences: overload of neighboring teeth and periodontal tissues, microcracks, tooth mobility.

Elimination of the above risks is possible by normalizing fissure-tubercle contacts and distributing chewing pressure. That is why care should be taken to fill the “closing line” of the jaws in the area of missing teeth using temporary structures or using a relaxing splint.