This is an extremely interesting article. In dental school, we are taught the Pregnancy classification of the drugs we utilize in our office. We are taught that elective dental care can safely be performed during the second trimester. Lastly, that poor oral health care can lead to premature birth weight. These are things we all learn about in school, but what about the comments that my pregnant friends share with me about their oral health during pregnancy. A dental school classmate who recently had a baby complained that she saw orthodontic movement in her teeth during pregnancy and now her teeth were crooked again. Another friend shared that she thought her teeth were softer, and even got her first cavity during pregnancy. Obviously, there is a huge link in changes in oral health care during pregnancy. This research suggests it would be safe to treat these patients and help prevent negative oral health outcomes.

This is a great topic. I think my classmates and I could benefit from further education, as well as our faculty needs clarification about pregnancy and the risks/benefits of receiving oral healthcare throughout pregnancy. Pregnant women need to continue to care for their oral health throughout their pregnancy. There are certainly necessary modifications to treatment when a patient is pregnant, but delaying care simply because a patient is pregnant seems shortsighted.

This topic comes up weekly at the dental school. We are taught that elective oral health care should be done only during the 2nd trimester (1st is a time of high miscarriage rate and 3rd the woman is often too uncomfortable). Every time a pregnant patient comes into clinic, we panic and often want to air on the side of: "lets defer everything until after the baby is born." It is important for pregnant women to maintain their oral health! We as dental providers need to educate women that cleanings and regular dental care is safe and important during pregnancy. Of course we should keep in mind the radiation and anesthetic risks, but we know that 2nd trimester is a safe time for most dental work, especially disease control phase.

This is such a great topic to discuss and bring to attention. I think patients who are pregnant pose different problems and require the healthcare provider to prepare for different emergency situations. I have had the opportunity to treat a couple of patients who are pregnant and I think there important things to consider such as the amount and type of anesthetic to use as well as the mother's apprehensions towards being exposed to radiation while taking radiographs. I once treated a woman who was in her third trimester and it was important that we take a radiograph on a potentially non-restorable premolar. We had already acquired a medical consult with the patient's PCP but despite the fact that her doctor stated there was no risk in have radiographs taken, the patient refused to be exposed to the radiation. She insisted that we restore her tooth (which was becoming symptomatic) without the use of a radiograph. In such a situation, it is important to explain to the patient all the benefits and risks associated. Another important thing to note is what, if anything, can be done during each trimester. It would be great to have a do's and don'ts list for this topic!!