Pre-pregnancy oral examination to eliminate hidden oral problems during pregnancy Various latent oral diseases are prone to occur during pregnancy. Therefore, women who are planning to become pregnant should have a thorough oral examination before pregnancy and address any problems immediately to eliminate all hidden oral problems, including gingivitis, periodontitis, unfilled cavities, as well as obstructed teeth and vestigial roots and crowns that need to be extracted. For the comfort of pregnant women and for the safety of dental treatment, it is best to avoid treatment during the early and late stages of pregnancy, and to ask the dentist for temporary and less strenuous treatment of any dental discomfort. If necessary, treatment can be done in the middle of pregnancy. If dental treatment is necessary, please relax and feel at ease as the dentist will assess the necessity of the treatment and minimize the exposure to x-rays and unnecessary medications and infections. First trimester of pregnancy (1 to 3 months): Sometimes pregnant women are not aware of the first trimester of pregnancy, and this is also the trimester when the important organs of the fetus (arms and legs, cerebrospinal nervous system, teeth) are being formed, if you take improper medication or receive excessive doses of radiation at this time, it may cause the threat of spontaneous abortion and may form malformed babies. Therefore, most dentists only deal with emergency treatment at this time and do not make too drastic treatment. The second trimester of pregnancy (4-6 months): dental treatment that is not too invasive can be done, and under proper protection (wearing a lead suit), X-rays can also be irradiated, and the dose of dental films is very small at the micro level, so it basically does not affect the fetus. Third trimester (7 to 9 months): This period is only suitable for emergency treatment, and it is important to avoid maintaining the head-down position for too long to avoid postural hypotension when sitting up suddenly. Brush your teeth daily during pregnancy and pay attention to calcium and nutrition During pregnancy, due to abnormal hormone secretion in women’s bodies, gum blood vessels are extra sensitive and symptoms such as red, swollen and bleeding gums can easily occur. To prevent pregnancy gingivitis, this can usually be avoided or reduced by effectively brushing twice a day in the correct manner using suitable dental appliances. Oral hygiene should also be observed during the postpartum recovery period. Also during pregnancy and breastfeeding, special attention should be paid to supplementing other nutrients such as calcium and vitamins that are beneficial to dental and bone development. Regular oral examination and timely oral treatment Pregnant women with oral problems should discard their worries and take the initiative to contact the dentist for professional help. Generally, simple scaling and filling can be treated during pregnancy, but if the pregnant woman is of the nervous type, there is a risk of miscarriage in the first trimester; in the second trimester, there is a fear of pressure on the veins due to the supine posture, so the way to prevent this is to take a break when sitting up and avoid sudden dizziness caused by standing up (due to postural hypotension). Most dental treatments (such as scaling, dental fillings, root canal treatment, etc.) can be done at this stage. However, dental surgeries (e.g. periodontal flap deep treatment, wisdom tooth extraction, apical surgery) are recommended to be postponed until after delivery because of the long surgery time and the emotional stress caused to the pregnant woman.