Pregnancy is an important period of woman’s life. Pregnancy changes a woman’s status and perspective toward her surroundings, which is why having a beautiful smile and improved appearance at the same time is important. Since women demand a better and younger appearance more than men, encountering a female patient who became pregnant during orthodontics is more likely.
In general and as a principle, there is no health concern to prevent pregnant women from using orthodontic appliances (fixed or removable).
There are factors, however, there are a variety of factors orthodontists should consider while treating a pregnant patient.
As in all medical and dental treatments, obtaining a complete medical, dental and psychosocial history of the patient is required, as it may change the treatment plan. Regarding the pregnant woman, it is necessary to consult gynecologists in case of any medical issues. The patient’s current medicinal history is additionally very valuable, since some drugs can have side effects on the tooth cavity along with orthodontic movements. For example, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen reduce tooth movements during orthodontic treatment. Also, any medical history, such as diabetes and possible pregnancy difficulties, should be evaluated before any orthodontic treatment.
Hyperplasia aka growth of gingival tissues occurs during puberty and pregnancy. Several known systemic and local factors lead to hyperplasia. With the most important systemic factor being hormonal changes during pregnancy. Although the presence of orthodontic brackets doesn’t alone cause gingivitis, factors such as pregnancy and poor dental hygiene can together contribute to acute gingivitis and even its advancement to other periodontal diseases. It is logical to delay the start of orthodontic treatment to after the pregnancy if the patient has poor oral hygiene and gingivitis. Since orthodontic brackets can act as a place for microbial plaques to gather, together with mild gingivitis in the pregnant women caused by hormonal changes, they could lead to deteriorating gingival conditions. Orthodontics is not incompatible with pregnancy if oral hygiene is observed.
There are approximately 6 million annual pregnancies in the United States, of which around a quarter of these individuals receive various types of dental care. Women who are not sufficiently informed don’t visit dentists during pregnancy, and many people wait for this period to end before visiting the dentist.
It is very important to consider the following points for a pregnant patient:
The effects of dental beauty on mental health is an interesting subject which has been…
Pediatric dentistry has always been an important source of concern for parents. Commonly due as…
One of the most common reasons for why children are afraid of dentistry is that…
A crossbite is a type of malocclusion, or a misalignment of teeth, in which upper…
Angular cheilitis or angular stomatitis is a skin inflammatory disorder affecting corners of our mouth.…
Teeth, gums and jaw’s form are the most important constituents of a smile design. For…