Braces during pregnancy
There are no contraindications for installing braces during pregnancy, and even more so, they do not need to be removed if you find out during orthodontic treatment that you are pregnant. In the article we want to tell you that pregnant women may encounter a number of difficulties, which are better to know about in advance.
There are no contraindications for installing braces during pregnancy, and even more so, they do not need to be removed if you find out during orthodontic treatment that you are pregnant. But it is worth remembering that before starting orthodontic treatment it is necessary to take an x-ray, and doctors do not recommend taking it in the first and third trimester, since at this time the most important organs for the baby are formed. In the second trimester, x-rays are allowed.
I would also like to tell you that pregnant women may encounter a number of difficulties, which it is better to know about in advance.
Decreased immunity
. As a rule, immunity decreases during pregnancy, and, as a result, the immune agent of the oral mucosa decreases, which leads to faster infection of the gums.
Changes in saliva composition
. Most often, during pregnancy, salivation decreases, and, therefore, the natural cleansing of the oral cavity decreases. The level of microelements in saliva also decreases, especially the level of calcium and phosphorus ions, which weakens tooth enamel.
Toxicosis
. In many pregnant women during this period, due to toxicosis, the acid-base balance is disturbed, and an acidic environment begins to predominate, which can contribute to tooth decay.
Changing your diet
. Many pregnant women experience an irresistible craving for constant snacking, including at night, and for consuming sweets in large quantities. All this can have a detrimental effect on the condition of the teeth.
Hormonal changes
. Against the background of hormonal changes, blood circulation in the body may worsen, which in turn affects the condition of the gums - increased sensitivity, bleeding, etc. Also, against the background of hormonal changes, women often experience mood swings. In the case of orthodontic treatment, this factor can be significant, since sometimes patience and calm are required.
Time factor
. A pregnant woman should have enough time to visit the orthodontist regularly. When planning orthodontic treatment, it is necessary to take into account that during pregnancy you will have to frequently visit the gynecologist and other specialists; preparing for the birth of the baby will also take a lot of time.
Taking into account all the above-mentioned risks, pregnant women should pay maximum attention to hygiene while wearing braces - brushing their teeth after every meal, using special brushes and rinses, and also performing professional oral hygiene more often for those wearing braces. In addition, pregnant women should take control of the amount of carbohydrates they consume, as this increases the risk of developing tooth decay.
And in the end, I would like to say that during pregnancy we recommend visiting a dentist at least once every 3 months in order to diagnose caries at an early stage if problems arise.
Happy motherhood! Return to list of articles
Effect of pregnancy period
When deciding to put braces on an expectant mother or not, the specialist will in any case pay attention to the duration of pregnancy. No interventions are allowed in the first trimester. Even caries treatment is not recommended at this time.
The third trimester also requires a very careful attitude to various types of influences. Severe discomfort, unnecessary medical intervention, medication, or stress can trigger premature birth.
The second trimester remains. At this time, the woman’s emotional state is normalized, and the placenta protects the fetus as much as possible. It is at this time that dental treatment can be performed and braces can be installed, the treatment of which will take place with minimal consequences for the expectant mother and baby.
Are lingual braces worth their high cost?
The most expensive lingual brace systems today are much more expensive than expensive sapphire braces; correction costs the patient up to 500 thousand rubles. But progressive doctors have already abandoned this solution, the only advantage of which is invisibility to others due to installation on the inside of the teeth.
This only advantage is greatly diluted by numerous disadvantages: adaptation to such systems is more difficult and longer (up to several months), the likelihood of injury to the tongue is high, the effect on diction is more pronounced, the requirements for caring for them are stricter, and recovery in case of peeling is more difficult.
What are the advantages of ligature-free braces? And do they exist?
Ligatures are wires or elastic rings with the help of which bracket locks are attached to the arch. In ligature-free bracket systems, the arch is inserted into a special clip, and ligatures are not needed.
Self-ligating braces (also known as self-ligating braces) have been aggressively promoted for some time, causing their prices to rise. However, time and practice have shown that the advantages attributed to such systems are absent (including the myth about the special strength achieved due to minimal friction of the archwire with the bracket locks).
Installing and wearing braces: does it hurt?
When installing braces, the vast majority of patients do not experience any noticeable pain, but discomfort certainly appears, and you will have to get used to the braces - for some faster, for others longer, on average - 1-2 days. The exception is, perhaps, people with a very low pain threshold or with increased impressionability - it is from them that the myths about the pain of installing and wearing braces come.
In fact, sometimes there is irritation of the mucous membranes of the lips and cheeks. To solve this problem, a special wax is used, which the doctor will definitely suggest after installation.
How are braces different from aligners?
This question worries many: is it possible to pay more, but get by wearing transparent removable aligners? The truth is that nice aligners can only cope with minor problems (for example, with one tooth that has grown incorrectly), but only fixed structures - those same “ugly braces” - can create an orthodontic load to shift the dentition.
As for cap-aligners, to achieve the effect, it is recommended to wear them at least 22 hours a day, removing them only during meals. As practice shows, a person often violates such rules by being distracted, forgetting, or simply allowing himself some indulgence. Strictly speaking, aligners are not intended to correct bites, and if they are positioned as such on the clinic’s website, it is better to turn to other specialists.
And the financial point: you will have to pay not more for the aligners, but much more, because during the treatment period they need to be changed at least 15 times (and sometimes much more), so the average minimum cost of correction with the help of aligners should be considered an amount of about 250- 300 thousand rubles.
How much do simple metal braces cost?
The remarkable cheapness of hardware is just a myth supported by some clinics. Indeed, by indicating the cost of one element of the braces system, they create the illusion of affordable treatment, but the patient should understand that the treatment process involves paying for braces, dental materials, multiple visits to the doctor and various procedures, including removal of the system at the end of treatment - and all this will cost at a very decent amount.
On average, the price of a course of treatment in an ordinary case (healthy teeth, simple defect) is 150-170 thousand rubles. (and this does not take into account preliminary professional teeth cleaning and diagnostics). If you have tooth decay and/or gum problems, you should add the cost of treatment or surgery to this amount. After removing the braces, you will have to pay for the installation of retainers, and, if necessary, restoration or installation of veneers.
Important!
There is no point in finding out the cost of braces over the phone, since each case is individual; choose the clinic where they will tell you the amount of all necessary procedures and operations - so to speak, the amount of “turnkey” treatment.
Is it true that sapphire braces are the best?
Sapphire braces are much more expensive than iron braces, but their advantages do not lie in the effectiveness of treatment. Moreover, in reliability they are inferior to metal ones. But on the teeth, such brace systems look much more aesthetically pleasing, since transparent brace locks are almost invisible.
Let us clarify: the precious natural stone sapphire has nothing to do with the production of such briquettes; we are talking about artificially grown crystals.
By the way, there are also cheaper transparent braces - ceramic (much more expensive than metal ones, but not as expensive as sapphires) and plastic designs. Only the former are too fragile and unstable in relation to food dyes (can lead to yellowing of teeth), and the latter are intended only for short-term use.
I’ll take off my braces, a couple of years will pass, and my teeth will return to their place... is this true?
But this is true - but from the practice of past years! Now, after removing braces, the dentition is secured using a special non-removable retainer apparatus; previously this was not always done - hence the accumulated complaints. Today, orthodontists are required to install such a device.
A retainer is a thin wire that is installed on the inside of the front teeth and prevents them from moving apart. And this is for the rest of your life, but you shouldn’t worry: the delay is imperceptible, those around you don’t see it, and if it breaks, it’s easy to fix—just don’t delay your visit to the doctor.
Another problem is more pressing: sometimes, after straightening the dentition, previously hidden aesthetic defects (for example, different lengths of teeth) become noticeable. In this case, you will really have to resort to restoration or buy expensive veneers.
Important!
The orthodontist must notice such defects and warn the patient before starting treatment.
Features of orthodontic procedures
If you continue to wear braces, treatment should be adjusted taking into account the woman's new position . The adjustment includes the following:
- The dentist should prescribe medications that replenish the lack of calcium in the body, and also recommend a special diet.
- The frequency of replacement of the system arches changes. As a rule, during pregnancy they are replaced less frequently, which affects the duration of treatment.
- The frequency of visits is increasing. This allows for timely detection of deviations in correction and dental diseases.
The need for correction is considered individually, depending on the general psychological and physical condition of the woman.
