Pregnancy and dental care: Advice from Riverwalk Dental
In the many years Riverwalk Dental served the people of Lawrence, Andover, Methuen, Lowell, and all throughout the Merrimack Valley Massachusetts area, Doctors Joseph Beninato and Vaso Patsi Hatzigiannis have been asked how changes in our life as we age change how we should care about our teeth. To some patients’ surprise, the answer is certainly yes; as our bodies change during different stages of our lives, so do our needs for dental care.
The most popular of questions is during pregnancy. Women, understandably concerned about the health of their babies, want to be sure that what they do to their bodies, and in particular their mouths, have on the health and development of their babies. Understanding that of course smoking and drinking could have an effect, an everyday activity such as brushing and flossing also comes to mind as something that could have an effect on their bodies and therefore their developing babies.
While speaking to a patient from Lawrence Massachusetts, she asked if dental treatments and local anesthetics could 
hurt her baby. This is a common and understandable concern, yet according to a study done by The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), procedures that require anesthetics are safe for pregnant women.
The study’s author Aharon Hagai, D.M.D. stated, “We aimed to determine if there was a significant risk associated with dental treatment with anesthesia and pregnancy outcomes. We did not find any such risk.”
In fact, according to an article published by WebMD, physical and hormonal changes such as estrogen and progesterone levels will change how a pregnant woman’s gums react to the bacteria in plaque. The adverse affects of such buildup may result in pregnancy gingivitis and research links gingivitis to increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight.
Nothing is more precious than our children, and mothers are understandably concerned for the effects their health has on the development of their babies. As Dr. Patsi and Dr. Beninato always tell their patients throughout Massachusetts; brush twice a day, change out your toothbrush every few months to be sure it is as effective as it can be, and visit us twice a year for a professional cleaning and to make sure if there is a problem, we address it long before they could ever cause discomfort or pain for moms to be.