Dental prophylaxis and treatment in pregnant women. Opinion of the working group of the Polish Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future on dental prophylaxis in pregnant women

Introduction. Pregnancy is a special period in the life of a woman, when she cares not only for her own health, but also for that of her unborn child. Prenatal care is defined as comprehensive and multidisciplinary care provided to a pregnant woman, developing foetus, and then a newborn. The aim of caries prevention in pregnancy is not only to protect the future mother from caries, but also to prevent the disease in the child. Aim. The aim of the paper was to present the recommendations on preventive and therapeutic dental management in pregnant women with regard to oral diseases in the mother and her child. Material and methods. Electronic search for literature in medical databases (Pubmed, EMBASE, MEDLINE) and manual search for literature on primary-primary prevention of dental caries and dental care in pregnancy. Results. The available literature indicates the safety of preventive and therapeutic activities during pregnancy, including the use of local anaesthesia and dental diagnostic radiology. Although dental treatment requires some modifications due to pregnancy-related changes, it may be safely used for the benefit of the mother’s and the child’s health. Conclusions. Dental care in pregnancy should be primarily dedicated to education, prevention and treatment, if needed. Future mothers should be made aware that the child’s oral health can and should be taken care of already in the prenatal period.