One in two women ends their pregnancy with at least one cavity. Next year, they will be able to benefit from a free oral prevention examination in the 4th month.
A baby, a tooth! It was customary to say that each pregnancy resulted in the loss of a tooth for the mother. This is very excessive, but an Inserm team has just shown that oral prevention deserves to be accentuated in future mothers.
According to their study conducted in 6 maternities in Ile-de-France, Midi-Pyrénées and Alsace, 51.6% of women have at least one cavity and on average three when their teeth are examined just after the birth of their child. . Since the development of cavities is often longer than 9 months, pregnancy is not responsible for the appearance of cavities. On the other hand, it accelerates its development.
Jean-Noel Vergnes, dentist and researcher at Inserm Unit 953 dedicated to women’s health: “Vomiting from 1er trimester and bleeding gums accelerate the caries process. “
However, future mothers are often reluctant to go to the dentist, for fear that the treatment is dangerous for their baby. Which is absolutely not the case. Dental care is not contraindicated.
Jean-Noel Vergnes : “We favor the 2e trimester for treatment, but otherwise, it is always better to treat ”
During the 1er trimester, only emergency care will be performed. It is a period of fragility for the fetus during which doctors and dentists prefer to postpone any non-essential intervention. The 3e The trimester is also not conducive to repeated appointments to the dentist or to dental pain that would be added to that of the back. Specialists therefore recommend consulting at 4e months for a preventive examination. This leaves time for the 2e trimester of pregnancy to treat any cavities or other detected problem.
To promote this oral prevention, an agreement has just been signed between dental surgeons and the National Union of Health Insurance Funds. In 2013, pregnant women will be able to benefit, during their 4e month of pregnancy, a preventive examination at the dentist. On the same principle as the M’T dents consultations which are already offered to children aged 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18, it will be fully covered by Health Insurance. Free education could be a useful incentive because Jean-Noël Vergnes’ team has identified being of low social status as a risk factor for cavities after pregnancy. With the possibility of a free consultation, during a period without risk for the baby, all that remains is to overcome the fear of the dentist!
