{"id":13299,"date":"2026-08-30T06:22:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T06:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unidenta.ee\/pregnancy-and-dental-treatment\/"},"modified":"2026-08-30T06:22:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T06:22:08","slug":"pregnancy-and-dental-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unidenta.ee\/en\/pregnancy-and-dental-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Pregnancy and dental treatment: what is allowed and what is not"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It is widely believed that teeth must not be treated during pregnancy. In fact the opposite is true: untreated infection in the mouth is a risk factor associated with premature birth and low birth weight. Necessary treatment should not be postponed because of pregnancy \u2014 but you must tell the dentist you are pregnant.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why gums bleed during pregnancy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hormonal changes increase the gum&#8217;s reaction to plaque. Pregnancy gingivitis is very common and usually starts in the second trimester. It is not dangerous but requires more careful hygiene and often a hygienist visit. Less commonly a benign growth appears on the gum \u2014 a pregnancy epulis \u2014 which usually resolves on its own after birth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The best time for treatment<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>First trimester.<\/strong> Examination, hygiene and urgent treatment only. Organ development is at a critical stage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Second trimester (weeks 14\u201327).<\/strong> The optimal window. Most planned procedures are done here.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Third trimester.<\/strong> Possible, but lying flat for long periods can be uncomfortable. Short appointments and a semi-upright position are preferred.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What is allowed<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Anaesthetic.<\/strong> Local anaesthesia is safe. Adrenaline-containing preparations are used at normal doses \u2014 enduring pain is worse for the baby than anaesthesia.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fillings.<\/strong> Decay should be treated, not postponed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Root canal treatment.<\/strong> Permitted, especially with infection or pain.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tooth extraction.<\/strong> Permitted where necessary, preferably in the second trimester.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Professional cleaning.<\/strong> Recommended throughout pregnancy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Radiographs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The radiation dose of a dental radiograph is very small and directed at the jaw, away from the abdomen. A lead apron provides additional protection. Routine images are still deferred, but an image needed for diagnosis is not skipped \u2014 undetected infection is the greater risk.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is postponed<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Teeth whitening.<\/li>\n<li>Aesthetic procedures that are not necessary.<\/li>\n<li>Planned implant surgery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Morning sickness and your teeth<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Morning sickness brings stomach acid into the mouth, which softens enamel. Most important: <strong>do not brush immediately after vomiting<\/strong> \u2014 brushing softened enamel wears it away. Rinse with water or a bicarbonate solution (a teaspoon in a glass of water) and brush 30 minutes later.<\/p>\n<p>If the taste of toothpaste triggers nausea, try a neutral-flavoured or children&#8217;s paste \u2014 not brushing is not an option.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Before pregnancy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you are planning a pregnancy, it is sensible to get your teeth in order beforehand. That avoids having to have treatment at the least convenient time.<\/p>\n<p>Book an examination at Unidenta in Tallinn and be sure to mention the pregnancy and how many weeks \u2014 it affects treatment planning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dental treatment during pregnancy is not forbidden \u2014 untreated infection is more dangerous to the baby than treatment. What is allowed, the best timing and what should wait.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[291],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-useful"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unidenta.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unidenta.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unidenta.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unidenta.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unidenta.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/unidenta.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13299\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unidenta.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unidenta.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unidenta.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}