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Question:
Oral health and pregnancy: My wife has really poor dental hygiene and many cavities that have not been filled.
We are looking to get pregnant in the next 3 months but I think she should get her dental work done before she is pregnant. She thinks dental work will "stir up" greater health problems with bacteria being released, etc.
Is it harmful to a fetus and/or pregnant mother to have such poor oral health while pregnant, and should dental work wait until after pregnancy, rather than having it done immediately preceding? ...Visitor from MA
Answer:
In my opinion your wife should NOT wait until after the pregnancy to start to take care of her teeth and gum infections.
If she is trying to get pregnant it would make sense to do everything possible to be as healthy as she can be before getting pregnant. This should help in getting pregnant,and having a healthier pregnancy.
Poor dental hygiene and not flossing or brushing well will lead to infected , soggy, bleeding gums. There is a documented link between periodontal (gum) disease and heart issues.
What happens is that unhealty, bleeding gums can let bacteria seep into the blood stream, which can cause heart disease and other systeminc problems.
Along these same lines it would seem logical that a certain amout of bacteria would get into the bloodstream of women (or men) with gum disease, The bleeding, swollen and sore gum tissue which is common with poor oral hygiene, does allow pathogens into the bloodstream.
It is also known that women who have gum disease and infected gums can have a more difficult pregnancy, and deliver low birth weight babies. In my personal view it makes common sense to get as healthy as you can before trying to start a family,and to stay healthy during the pregnancy to give the developing baby the best chance of health.
West Chester Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry
Ron Briglia, DMD
845 West Chester Pike
MainLine Pennsylvania
West Chester PA 19382
(610) 692-4440
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