Being pregnant means worrying about the effects of every element of your life on a small fetus. You have to avoid certain foods as well as certain medicines. So, what do you do when you have oral health issues to address and you happen to be pregnant? If taking an aspirin is dangerous to your fetus, what does that make a cavity or the medication you need to treat your oral health issues? Here you can learn why tending to your oral health when you are pregnant can be even more important than it is when you aren't pregnant.

Treat Gum Disease Early

If you know that you have gum disease before you get pregnant, address the issue before the pregnancy happens. If you are already pregnant and you have gum disease, it's important to take care of it so that it doesn't cause problems with the fetus. Gum disease can increase your risk of premature birth or low birth weight in your baby. Since the organs of the fetus are developing during the first trimester, it's best to seek treatment during the second trimester. Your dentist can help you come up with a viable oral health plan for the pregnancy so that you can reduce any risk to the baby, including the risks associated with unaddressed gum disease.

Tend to Cavities and Infections

Cavities and infections can be painful for you, but the pain and the poison of the infection combine to cause high blood pressure and potential strain on the fetus.

• Cavities and infections disperse poison through the bloodstream, which means it eventually reaches your baby.
• These oral health issues can change the way you eat, impacting the nutrition that your baby receives.
• The stress of dealing with constant pain can increase your anxiety levels and with them, your blood pressure.
• The medication used to deal with a cavity or extraction is safe to use while pregnant.

If you have any concerns about the treatment methods or medications used to do an extraction or filling, talk to a dentist at an office such as Quality Dental Care. He or she will be happy to put your mind at ease and set up a safe time to perform the procedures that are required. Your dental health professional is concerned about your health and your oral issues, but he or she isn't going to risk the health of your baby either.