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Pregnancy can be one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life, as you eagerly wait for the birth of the new addition. Needless to say, pregnancy comes with a lot of responsibilities. Everything you do to your own body can affect your baby’s health, so you eat right and try to avoid anything that could harm your baby.

You may not realize it, but even your oral health affects your baby. You have a lot to worry about during this time in your life, but it’s important not to let your oral health slide. Maintaining good routines before and during pregnancy can improve the health of your baby.

Gum Disease and Pregnancy

Gum disease includes gingivitis and the more severe condition called periodontitis. Pregnancy gingivitis is a condition that results from bacteria in your teeth. Symptoms include gum inflammation and bad breath. If it progresses to periodontitis, your baby is at higher risk for preterm delivery and low-birth weight. You can also develop pregnancy tumors, or pyogenic granulomas, which can interfere with speaking and eating. Throughout pregnancy, continue to visit Dr. Theodotou at your regularly scheduled appointments to look for signs of gum disease.

Pregnancy and the Role of Our Office

Make an appointment with Dr. Theodotou at our Pooler office when you first learn that you’re pregnant, especially if you have unresolved oral health issues. If possible, try not to schedule necessary treatment during the first trimester or second half of the third trimester.

Oral Health Care Habits to Follow

Maintain a normal good oral health care regimen, which includes brushing your teeth at least twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste and soft toothbrush, and flossing daily. If your regular regimen is not up to par, now is a good time to develop good habits. You can use an unflavored toothpaste if you have morning sickness and regular toothpaste makes you feel nauseous. Also, rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash if you experience morning sickness to prevent acid damage to your teeth.

A dry socket, known as alveolar osteitis, is a fairly common complication of tooth extraction and is characterized by severe pain. Usually, after a tooth is removed, a blood clot forms in the socket, or the area where the tooth was. As that space heals, gum tissue gradually replaces the blood clot. In the case of a dry socket, the tissue does not fill in the open space, leaving the bone exposed to air and food. The exposed bone of a dry socket is very sensitive and can lead to an intense dull aching pain that throbs. It is one of the most painful dental problems our patients can experience.

A dry socket will occur in only one to three percent of all tooth extraction cases, but it becomes much more common in the extraction of lower, or what we call mandibular, wisdom teeth.

Those who undergo tooth extraction can experience dry socket. Besides visible bone and nerves, signs and symptoms of dry socket may include:

• Severe pain within a few days after a tooth extraction
• Partial or total loss of the blood clot at the tooth extraction site, which you may notice as an empty-looking (dry) socket
• Pain that radiates from the socket to your ear, eye, temple, or neck on the same side of your face as the extraction
• Bad breath coming from your mouth or an unpleasant taste in your mouth
• Swollen lymph nodes around the neck or jaw

It is important to note that a certain degree of pain and discomfort is to be expected after tooth extraction. It’s also important to note that over-the-counter medications alone do not adequately treat dry socket pain. Therefore, it is critical to give us a call at our Pooler office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Theodotou if your pain does not subside.

If you have any questions about dry sockets or general questions about your ongoing treatment at Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Coastal Georgia, please do not hesitate to give us a call.

A dry socket, known as alveolar osteitis, is a fairly common complication of tooth extraction and is characterized by severe pain. Usually, after a tooth is removed, a blood clot forms in the socket, or the area where the tooth was. As that space heals, gum tissue gradually replaces the blood clot. In the case of a dry socket, the tissue does not fill in the open space, leaving the bone exposed to air and food. The exposed bone of a dry socket is very sensitive and can lead to an intense dull aching pain that throbs. It is one of the most painful dental problems our patients can experience.

A dry socket will occur in only one to three percent of all tooth extraction cases, but it becomes much more common in the extraction of lower, or what we call mandibular, wisdom teeth.

Those who undergo tooth extraction can experience dry socket. Besides visible bone and nerves, signs and symptoms of dry socket may include:

• Severe pain within a few days after a tooth extraction
• Partial or total loss of the blood clot at the tooth extraction site, which you may notice as an empty-looking (dry) socket
• Pain that radiates from the socket to your ear, eye, temple, or neck on the same side of your face as the extraction
• Bad breath coming from your mouth or an unpleasant taste in your mouth
• Swollen lymph nodes around the neck or jaw

It is important to note that a certain degree of pain and discomfort is to be expected after tooth extraction. It’s also important to note that over-the-counter medications alone do not adequately treat dry socket pain. Therefore, it is critical to give us a call at our Pooler office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Theodotou if your pain does not subside.

If you have any questions about dry sockets or general questions about your ongoing treatment at Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Coastal Georgia, please do not hesitate to give us a call.

A dry socket, known as alveolar osteitis, is a fairly common complication of tooth extraction and is characterized by severe pain. Usually, after a tooth is removed, a blood clot forms in the socket, or the area where the tooth was. As that space heals, gum tissue gradually replaces the blood clot. In the case of a dry socket, the tissue does not fill in the open space, leaving the bone exposed to air and food. The exposed bone of a dry socket is very sensitive and can lead to an intense dull aching pain that throbs. It is one of the most painful dental problems our patients can experience.

A dry socket will occur in only one to three percent of all tooth extraction cases, but it becomes much more common in the extraction of lower, or what we call mandibular, wisdom teeth.

Those who undergo tooth extraction can experience dry socket. Besides visible bone and nerves, signs and symptoms of dry socket may include:

• Severe pain within a few days after a tooth extraction
• Partial or total loss of the blood clot at the tooth extraction site, which you may notice as an empty-looking (dry) socket
• Pain that radiates from the socket to your ear, eye, temple, or neck on the same side of your face as the extraction
• Bad breath coming from your mouth or an unpleasant taste in your mouth
• Swollen lymph nodes around the neck or jaw

It is important to note that a certain degree of pain and discomfort is to be expected after tooth extraction. It’s also important to note that over-the-counter medications alone do not adequately treat dry socket pain. Therefore, it is critical to give us a call at our Pooler office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Theodotou if your pain does not subside.

If you have any questions about dry sockets or general questions about your ongoing treatment at Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Coastal Georgia, please do not hesitate to give us a call.