- A single dental check while you are planning is worth it.
- Gums swell easily once pregnancy begins.
- Clearing things beforehand makes those months easier.
- In the second trimester most treatment can go ahead.
Few people think about the dentist while planning a pregnancy. Some things are much easier if they are done first, and this column sets out the order. At Reset Dental Clinic in Seomyeon, Busan, we offer 1:1 English interpretation from the first consultation through the end of treatment.
Pregnancy changes your hormones a great deal. That change reaches the blood vessels in your gums.
Gums become more sensitive than usual and swell easily. The same amount of tartar brings a much bigger reaction, so bleeding while brushing is common.
Add morning sickness and brushing itself becomes hard. There are weeks when a toothbrush in the mouth brings on nausea.
Decay and gum disease can move quickly during those few months. That is why clearing things beforehand helps.
What should you check before pregnancy?
Where do we start?
Inflammation comes first. Wherever the gums are swollen or bleeding, we deal with that site.
Scaling to lift the tartar away is the basis of it.
What about decay and wisdom teeth?
Decay comes next, the deepest first. Where it has reached the nerve, it is better finished beforehand.
Sudden pain after conceiving leaves you with fewer options.
We look at wisdom teeth too. One that has swollen repeatedly is better out beforehand, because a swollen wisdom tooth during pregnancy is hard going.
| Item | While planning | During pregnancy |
|---|---|---|
| Tartar and gums | Scaling and gum treatment | Light work in the second trimester |
| Deep decay | Fill, or root canal if needed | Treated mid-term if painful |
| Wisdom teeth | Remove ones that keep swelling | Postponed where possible |
| Crowns and bridges | Replace worn ones | Postponed unless urgent |
| Implants | Finish beforehand or do not start | Not done |
| Orthodontics | Ask before starting | Can be continued |
Does it all have to be done at once?
The left column is the planning-period list. There is no need to do it in one visit, and it can be spread over a few weeks in order of urgency.
On your first visit we take one whole-mouth image. Buried wisdom teeth and inflammation at a root tip show up there.
Three or four months of leeway is plenty for all of it. With less time, we do the urgent items and move the rest to the second trimester.
Why do gums swell during pregnancy?
What do the hormones do?
Hormones widen the blood vessels in the gums. Wider vessels leak and swell more readily.
With the same tartar, the reaction is far greater. So people who were fine before start to bleed when they brush.
The gum between the front teeth sometimes swells into a round lump. That lump usually settles after the birth, and if it gets in the way of chewing it can be removed.
Is it the gums alone, or the bone as well?
That is the question that matters. The gingivitis stage comes back once the tartar is lifted away.
Once the bone has started to go, it is hard to reverse. That is why looking in advance counts for so much.
- Bleeding when you brush
- Gums red and puffy
- A round swelling between the front teeth
- Bad breath
- Soreness when the gum is pressed
Stopping brushing because it bleeds makes things worse. Please keep going, with a soft brush if need be.
| Stage | State of the gums | Reversible? |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy | Pink and firm | Not applicable |
| Gingivitis | Red, swollen, bleeding | Returns once tartar is removed |
| Early gum disease | Bone starting to recede | Progress can be stopped |
| Moderate gum disease | Bone visibly reduced | Does not come back |
| Advanced gum disease | Teeth loosening | Teeth are hard to keep |
Everything down to the second row can still come back. Lifting the tartar away at that stage is what matters.
How can you brush through morning sickness?
The brush itself makes me gag
Change to a small brush, and a child's size is fine. Work gently from the front, keeping clear of the back of the tongue.
If the smell of toothpaste makes it worse, brush without any. Water alone clears a good deal, and a low-scent paste is another option.
Many patients find that leaning the head forward helps. Changing the time of day is worth trying too.
- Switch to a small brush
- Keep clear of the back of the tongue
- Low-scent paste, or water alone
- Lean your head forward while brushing
- Brush when your stomach feels settled
What about after being sick?
Please do not brush straight afterwards. Stomach acid has softened the enamel, so brushing then wears it more.
Rinse with water or weak salt water first, and brush about thirty minutes later. Rinse with water after anything sour as well.
The worst of the nausea usually settles around three months. Until then, do what you can manage.
Even one proper brushing a day makes a real difference. Give the one before bed the most care.
Is dental treatment safe during pregnancy?
Which months are easiest?
It can be done, though we pick the timing. In the first three months we keep to urgent matters.
Months four to six are the most comfortable, and most treatment can go ahead then. Later on, lying still for long stretches is hard.
The abdomen is pressed, which can leave you short of breath or dizzy. So late pregnancy is handled in short sessions.
| Stage | How comfortable | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| First three months | Urgent matters | Settle a painful site |
| Months four to six | Most comfortable | Scaling, fillings, extraction if needed |
| Month seven onward | Short sessions | Urgent care |
| Just before the birth | Postponed | Emergencies |
| After the birth | In turn, once recovered | Clear the postponed list |
What about anaesthetic and medicines?
The table is a common guide and shifts with how your pregnancy goes. Your obstetrician's view always comes first.
With twins, or any risk of an early birth, we are more careful and postpone all but the urgent.
The local anaesthetic used in dentistry is generally considered safe. The amounts are small and it tends to stay where it is put.
Going without it and enduring the pain is the worse choice. Pain and tension put more strain on the body.
- Local anaesthetic is generally considered safe
- Enduring the pain is the greater strain
- Painkillers are chosen from the safer group
- Antibiotics usable in this period exist too
- Medicines are matched with your obstetrician
Medicines are chosen by type, and we often check with your obstetrician first. Please bring the list of anything you are already taking.
Deep sedation is not used during pregnancy, which is another reason long surgery waits. Tell us your week count when you book.
Long procedures are broken into shorter ones, and you can sit up part-way through. Turning slightly onto your left side eases the pressure.
Are dental X-rays a concern during pregnancy?
How much exposure is there?
A dental X-ray uses a very small dose. The area imaged is the head, well away from the abdomen.
A lead apron reduces what reaches the abdomen further still.
Even so, we do not take one unless it is needed. When a painful site has to be seen, we do take one.
Treating without looking is the greater risk of the two.
Can I have one taken beforehand?
Taking one while you are planning cuts down the need during pregnancy. We suggest keeping one whole-mouth image on file.
- Dental images use a very small dose
- The area imaged is far from the abdomen
- A lead apron is used
- Images are taken when they are needed
- Keep one on file from the planning months
Please tell us first if you are pregnant. We ask at reception so that it never happens unknowingly.
If one was taken before you knew, the dose is not a cause for great worry. It is still worth raising with your obstetrician.
Today's equipment uses far less than it once did. A small image is over in a very short time.
What can you do for your baby's teeth?
Does anything help before the birth?
A baby's teeth start forming before birth. Nutrition during that time has an effect.
Enough calcium in your food helps, from milk, cheese or fish eaten with the bones. A special supplement is not something you have to take.
What matters more?
The bacteria in the mother's mouth matter more. The bacteria that cause decay pass across to the baby.
Sharing a spoon, or cooling food in your own mouth, is how they travel.
- Enough calcium in your food
- Reduce the bacteria in your own mouth
- Do not share spoons
- Do not cool food in your mouth
- Visit once the first tooth appears
So clearing your own decay beforehand is the most practical preparation for the baby. Do drop in once the first tooth appears.
We show you how to clean the baby's mouth then. Before that first tooth, a piece of gauze is enough.
Most mothers can come in two or three months after the birth. Most treatment is possible while you are breastfeeding.
Anaesthetic and medicines are chosen accordingly, and feeds and doses are sometimes spaced apart. Postponed treatments are booked in order of urgency.
How do we plan pregnancy dental care in Busan?
What about orthodontics and implants?
Orthodontics can carry on through pregnancy. Starting new treatment is decided after a consultation.
Bad early sickness makes appliances hard to wear, and clear trays are more of a nuisance then. Stages that need frequent images are put back.
Implants are not started in this period, since surgery, medicines and images are all involved. One already placed is left as it is, with the crown stage sometimes delayed.
- Orthodontics can be continued
- Starting new treatment is decided after a consultation
- Stages needing images are put back
- Implants are not started
- Cosmetic treatment also waits
How do we schedule your visits?
Tell us you are planning and we reorder things. The whole-mouth image comes first, then the urgent items.
Inflammation, deep decay and a wisdom tooth that keeps swelling come before the rest. Those three alone make the ten months much easier.
We spread the schedule over a few weeks and go through brushing with you. Patients visiting Korea from abroad can have the urgent items grouped together.
Once you have conceived, we ask your week count and work to it. Light scaling is what we suggest in the second trimester.
Being near Seomyeon Station makes it easy to drop in for a check-up. A check-up on its own is fine, and treatment is not obligatory.
Knowing where you stand is itself a form of preparation. We write down what is urgent and what is not.
One dental check while you are planning makes the ten months much easier.
Inflammation, deep decay and a swelling wisdom tooth
are the three worth clearing first.
For a pregnancy dental check in Busan, Reset Dental Clinic offers 1:1 English interpretation from your first consultation to the end of treatment. Call 010-8555-2854 to arrange a visit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have scaling while pregnant, and should I stop brushing if my gums bleed?
Scaling can be done in the second trimester and often helps swollen gums. Stopping brushing makes it worse, so keep going with a soft brush.
Can I brush straight after being sick, and can a painful wisdom tooth come out?
Rinse with water and brush about thirty minutes later instead. A wisdom tooth can be taken out in the second trimester, depending on its state.
Does the anaesthetic reach the baby, and what if an image was taken before I knew?
The amounts are small and tend to stay where they are put, so it is generally considered safe. A dental image uses a very small dose, and your obstetrician can advise you.
Can I see an English-speaking dentist in Busan during pregnancy?
Yes. We provide 1:1 English interpretation from the first consultation to the end of treatment, near Seomyeon Station Exit 2, opposite Lotte Hotel Busan. Call 010-8555-2854, or +82-10-8555-2854 from abroad.
References
- KDCA National Health Information Portal, "Management of Normal Pregnancy" — treatment that can be received during pregnancy
- KDCA National Health Information Portal, "Morning Sickness" — when it appears and how it is managed
- KDCA National Health Information Portal, "Gum Disease (Periodontal Disease)" — the difference between gingivitis and gum disease
- KDCA National Health Information Portal, "Systemic Disease and Periodontal Treatment" — how general health relates to gum inflammation
Written by Reset Dental Clinic Support Team
Medical review Dr. Kim Hyun-joo, Head Dentist
Last updated: November 3, 2026
This column is for general information and does not replace diagnosis or treatment for individual patients. If you have symptoms, please see a dentist.
