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VOLUME 5 , ISSUE 2 ( September, 2013 ) > List of Articles

RESEARCH ARTICLE

MANAGEMENT OF PREGNANT PATIENTS IN DENTAL PRACTICE

Pramod Tatuskar

Citation Information : Tatuskar P. MANAGEMENT OF PREGNANT PATIENTS IN DENTAL PRACTICE. CODS J Dent 2013; 5 (2):44-51.

DOI: 10.5005/cods-5-2-44

License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Published Online: 01-06-2014

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2013; The Author(s).


Abstract

Pregnancy is a unique period in a woman's lifetime. Good oral health during pregnancy is important to the overall health of both the expectant mother and her baby. Therefore, it is important to maintain good oral health during pregnancy because it has the potential to reduce the transmission of pathogenic bacteria from mothers to their children. Dental care is safe for the pregnant patient and can prevent long term health problems for both mother and child. During pregnancy dental treatment may be modified but need not be withheld, provided that the risk assessment is made properly for both the patient and the fetus. Oral changes in the mouth are due to the alteration in the levels of estrogen and progesterone. This variation in the female sex hormones causes an increase in oral vasculature permeability and decrease in the host immunity, thus making the pregnant woman more prone to oral infections. Although pregnancy is not a contraindication to dental treatments, the clinician should consult with the patient's physician to clarify individual treatment issues. When prescribing medication during pregnancy, the main concern is the risk of teratogenesis, because drugs cross the placenta by simple diffusion. Drugs are administered during pregnancy only when they are essential for the pregnant woman's well-being, and the drug of choice should always be the one that is the least toxic. Prescribing of systemic drugs of any kind ideally should be performed after consultation with the general medical practitioner or obstetrician.


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