Dental implants are the most effective way of replacing one or multiple missing teeth. The dental implant procedure is a complex one and getting dental implants during pregnancy is not recommended for several reasons.
Dental Implants and Pregnancy
The dental implant procedure involves two stages: the installation of a dental screw in your bone and the placement of a ceramic crown on top of the screw. These steps are done at a difference of about 2 months, time required for the bone to assimilate the titanium screw.
During pregnancy, there are a lot of hormonal fluctuations which may affect the proper assimilation of the titanium screw. The hormonal changes may make your gums more sensitive and the healing of the incision may be more difficult.
More importantly, frequent x-rays are needed to monitor the evolution of the implant. X-rays are not safe for pregnant women, being able to affect the fetus.
Please note that during breast feeding you should also avoid getting x-rays and dental implants.
Dental Implants after Pregnancy
If you have missing teeth, you may delay getting dental implants for over 1 year, as the bone structure won’t change so much in this period.
In case you are pregnant and the missing teeth are visible you should opt for some temporary solutions, possibly some dentures, as bridges may involve working on the neighboring teeth as well. Talk to your dentist about some alternatives that don’t involve x-rays.
After the pregnancy and breast feeding period are over, you can plan getting dental implants with high chances of success.
