Pregnant women who have a dental problem in the first trimester can give birth to a child with a cleft lip and palate, according to the latest research by Norwegian scientists.
During the first three months of pregnancy, more precisely from the sixth to the tenth week, the brain and central nervous system develop.
This period of fruit development is called organogenesis. In order to avoid the risk of any congenital deformity, doctors always recommend more serious medical interventions and treatment only after this period, after the third month of pregnancy.
Dental repairs and fillings can lead to cheiloschisis or palatoschisis, i.e. incomplete development of the upper lip and palate, a deformity popularly known as cleft lip, which is manifested by the skin of the upper lip not closing, and incomplete development of the upper jaw, which during intrauterine development should be completed by the end of the third month.
Doctors claim that ordinary silver fillings placed in the mother's tooth contain a certain amount of mercury, more precisely about 52% of mercury in one filling, and that over time the mercury is released into the mother's body and thus reaches the placenta and the fetus. Alamgam fillings contain a much smaller amount of mercury, but they still contain it
Dr. Susan London, who led the team of scientists for that research in Norway, pointed out that oral health must be thought about before the planned period of pregnancy, and one should always take care of one's teeth and treat them with regular examinations at the dentist.
Dental problems often occur only during pregnancy, due to hormonal changes in the pregnant woman's body and the increased consumption of calcium, which is needed by the fetus for normal development. In that case, dental interventions should be postponed until the second trimester of pregnancy.
The study included about 570 newborns who were born with cleft lip and palate, and for which it turned out that their mothers had treated and filled them during the critical period.
Doctors claim that ordinary silver fillings placed in the mother's tooth contain a certain amount of mercury, more precisely about 52% of mercury in one filling, and that over time the mercury is released into the mother's body and thus reaches the placenta and the fetus. Alamgam fillings contain a much smaller amount of mercury, but they still contain it.
Although a study like this requires a lot more research and data, Dr. London is confident in the data she has processed so far.
She advised women who are planning to become pregnant to take care of their teeth daily and to solve any problems they may have before pregnancy or to postpone the repair and filling of teeth for a period in which such an intervention will be the least harmful to the fetus.
In any case, emphasizes London, every pregnant woman must consult her gynecologist about this.
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