Can I treat my teeth while pregnant?

There are many things you cannot do when you are pregnant, such as treating your teeth. It is best to wait until after you are pregnant to get treatment, unless your symptoms are too severe and you must go to the doctor. You cannot take some dental treatment drugs at home by yourself. Try not to let your gums bleed to avoid adverse effects on the fetus in your womb.

Use drugs with caution

Pregnancy medication classification

(As of 2013) Drugs that have been proven to affect the embryo include anti-epileptic drugs, certain psychiatric drugs, certain special types of antibiotics, etc. These drugs have been proven to have a direct effect on the embryo, while other drugs may not have obvious effects but should still be used with caution. Most doctors have a "drug manual" that records the classification of various medications and their effects on the fetus. The classification is as follows (the following times are all as of the final draft of the specific drug manual).

Class A: Clinical trials have proven that it is harmless to the fetus.

Class B: Animal experiments have shown that there is no lethality or adverse reactions to the fetus, and there are no reports of human experiments.

Class C: Animal experiments have confirmed adverse reactions to the fetus, and there are no reports on human experiments, but it can be used when necessary.

Class D: Clinical trials have shown that it has adverse effects on the fetus, but it can be used in life-threatening situations for the mother.

Class X: Clinical experiments have confirmed that it has adverse effects on the fetus and its use is absolutely prohibited.

Since the early stages of pregnancy are when the fetal brain, neural tube, and organs are developing, medications should be used with caution. Generally, obstetrics and gynecology medications are trustworthy (for example, you can ask an obstetrician and gynecologist to prescribe medication for a cold). In other departments, if the physician is a licensed one and has informed you that you are pregnant, the medications they prescribe should also be trustworthy. However, medications prescribed by unlicensed physicians or some pharmacies should not be trusted, even if they say they are harmless to the fetus.

Be careful when taking medication before pregnancy is confirmed

A common problem encountered in obstetrics and gynecology is that expectant mothers have taken cold medicine before they were aware of their pregnancy. Usually doctors do not think that the fetus must be aborted just because the baby has been taking cold medicine for three days, but future prenatal examinations must be done in more detail, and necessary treatment can be taken depending on the impact on the fetus. No matter how good your physical condition is before pregnancy, you must start paying attention to taking care of your body for the sake of the baby in your belly after pregnancy. Losing weight has become a trend in modern society, but the drugs used in various hospitals and clinics are varied. Diet pills have caused great controversy. Some of these drugs can cause harm when used on normal people, let alone when used on pregnant women. There have been many cases where pregnant women who used diet pills without knowing they were pregnant have suffered serious consequences such as fetal malformation and brainlessness. Before taking weight-loss pills, female friends must make sure that they are not pregnant and pay attention to the legality of the medical behavior to avoid causing physical harm.

Be careful when taking Chinese medicine during pregnancy

In addition, special caution should be exercised when using Chinese medicine, because Chinese medicine is a compound medicine and its effects on the fetus are not easy to detect. However, many people still believe that they need to take Chinese medicine to nourish their bodies during pregnancy. If they just go to a pharmacy to get the medicine, it may have adverse effects on the fetus. For example, some pregnant women listened to others and used fetal whitening Chinese medicine without diagnosis by a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner, which unfortunately resulted in the fetus' heart being exposed. There are many Chinese medicine pharmacies in the market. Before using Chinese herbal medicines, you should still consult a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner to avoid causing unnecessary harm.