9. Braces during Pregnancy?
It seems people of all ages are getting
braces these days. We’ve been asked by women about braces for their
teeth during pregnancy. They want to know if it’s OK to continue wearing
braces during pregnancy, and they want to know if they can have braces
put on when they’re pregnant.
Sources of Food Nutrients
|
Nutrient
(Daily Requirement)
|
Food Sources
|
|
Calcium (1200mg)
|
dairy products, dark leafy vegetables, dried beans and peas, tofu |
|
Folic acid (0.4mg)
|
liver, dried beans and peas, eggs, broccoli, whole-grain products, oranges, orange juice |
|
Iron (30mg)
|
fish, liver, meat, poultry, egg yolks, nuts, dried beans and peas, dark leafy vegetables, dried fruit |
|
Magnesium (320mg)
|
dried beans and peas, cocoa, seafood, whole-grain products, nuts |
|
Vitamin B6 (2.2mg)
|
whole-grain products, liver, meat |
|
Vitamin E (10mg)
|
milk, eggs, meat, fish, cereals, dark leafy vegetables, vegetable oils |
|
Zinc (15mg)
|
seafood, meat, nuts, milk, dried beans and peas |
If you already have braces, some things
could make treatment a bit more taxing for you. If you have morning
sickness and vomit a lot, you’ll need to take very good care of your
teeth. Brushing is important to clean acid off teeth. When your braces
are tightened, you may want to eat soft foods, but that’s acceptable for
a few days. You can take acetaminophen for any discomfort.
If you’re scheduled to have your braces
put on then discover you’re pregnant, don’t panic. Contact your
orthodontist, and tell him or her you’re pregnant. Discuss any plans
regarding braces with your pregnancy healthcare provider and your orthodontist before any action is taken!
Concern comes if you need dental X-rays;
they may be an essential part of the treatment plan. However, with
modern equipment and use of digital radiography, these risks can be
reduced.
You may need to have
one or more teeth pulled. Tooth extraction by itself may not be
dangerous, but the anesthesia necessary to pull a tooth may not be good
for you or baby. Your treatment plan must be discussed and agreed upon
by your pregnancy healthcare provider and your orthodontist before your
begin.
If you get the go ahead to put
your braces on, you may want to eat soft foods for a few days after you
get them. You may also have some soreness when braces are put on or
tightened. It’s OK to take acetaminophen for any discomfort. 10. Lab Tests Your Healthcare Provider May Order
When you go for your first or second
prenatal visit, your healthcare provider may order a lot of tests,
including blood tests. You may also have a urinalysis and urine culture,
and cervical cultures to test for STDs. A Pap smear may also be done.
Other tests are done as required.
Most of the tests are done on your
blood—usually only a vial or two is needed to perform all the tests. If
you have difficulty having your blood drawn or you get lightheaded or
faint after blood is taken, you might want to ask your partner to
accompany you to the test. Blood tests that may be ordered include:
• complete blood count (CBC) to check your iron stores and to check for infections
• rubella titer to see if you have immunity against rubella (German measles)
• blood type to determine what your blood type is (A, B, AB or O)
• an Rh-factor test to determine if you are Rh-negative
• a blood-sugar-level test to look for diabetes
• test for varicella (chicken pox) to see if you have had this disease in the past
• test for hepatitis-B antibodies to determine whether you have ever been exposed to hepatitis-B
• screening test for syphilis (VDRL or ART)
• test for thrombophilia
• an HIV/AIDS test to see if you have been infected with the AIDS virus
It is not routine to
screen all women for HIV during pregnancy. It may be offered to you; you
must decide whether you should be tested. Some experts recommend all
women undergo screening during pregnancy. Discuss it with your
healthcare provider.
Ask your healthcare provider
about a test for hypothyroidism. Researchers believe women should be
tested for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) at the beginning of
pregnancy. One study showed that after 16 weeks, pregnant women who had
higher-than-normal levels of TSH had 4 times the chance of having a
miscarriage or stillbirth than women with normal levels. 11. Toxoplasmosis
If you have a cat, you may be concerned about toxoplasmosis.
The disease is spread by eating raw, infected meat or by contact with
infected cat feces. Usually an infection in the mother-to-be has no
symptoms but can cross the placenta to the baby.
|
Condition
|
Drugs of Choice that Are Safe to Use
|
|
Acne |
benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, erythromycin |
|
Asthma |
inhalers—beta-adrenergic antagonists, corticosteroids, cromolyn, ipratropium |
|
Bacterial infection |
cephalosporins, clindamycin, cotrimoxazole, erythromycin, nitrofurantoin, penicillin |
|
Bipolar disorder |
chlorpromazine, haloperidol |
|
Coughs |
cough lozenges, dextromethorphan, diphenhydramine, codeine (short term) |
|
Depression |
fluoxetine, tricyclic antidepressants |
|
Headache |
acetaminophen |
|
Hypertension |
hydralazine, methyldopa |
|
Hyperthyroidism |
propylthiouracil |
|
Migraines |
codeine, dimenhydrinate |
|
Nausea and vomiting |
doxylamine plus pyridoxine |
|
Peptic ulcer disease |
antacids, rantidine |
Infection during
pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or an infected infant at birth.
Toxoplasmosis in a mother-to-be can cause serious problems in her baby.
Antibiotics can be used to treat toxoplasmosis, but the best plan is
prevention. Sanitary measures prevent transmission of the disease.
Get someone else to change the
kitty litter. Wash your hands thoroughly after petting your cat, and
keep your cat off counters and tables. Wash your hands after contact
with meat and soil. Cook all meat thoroughly. Avoid cross-contamination
of foods while preparing and cooking them. 12. Exercise for Week 8
Sit on the floor in a comfortable
position. Inhale as you raise your right arm over your head. Reach as
high as you can, while stretching from the waist. Bend your elbow, and
pull your arm back down to your side as you exhale. Repeat for your left
side. Do 4 or 5 times on each side. Relieves upper backache and tension in shoulders, neck and back.
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