Smiles for life - pregnancy and teeth UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
1. Estella, a 32 year old Hispanic woman, presents to your Treating her periodontitis
office for a first prenatal visit. She is excited to be 7 is safe at any time during
weeks pregnant. She quit smoking recently because her pregnancy.
she heard from her sister who had a preterm deliv-
ery that smoking can contribute to preterm labor. She
wants to know if there is anything else she can do to
reduce her risk of a preterm birth. She has struggled
to care for her teeth. She has not seen the dentist in
several years because few dentists in your area take
her Medicaid insurance. As part of the visit you per-
form an oral examination and discover that she has
periodontitis (see photo):
Which of the following is true?
2. Estella returns two weeks later concerned about a The lesion should be
rapidly growing lesion in her mouth. She has never had left alone. With brushing,
anything like this before. It bled last night after eating flossing, and good oral
corn chips. Her sister says she had a similar lesion once care it will likely resolve af-
when she was on birth control pills. Her doctor told her ter pregnancy.
not to worry about it and it eventually went away on its
own.
What would be the best advice for Estella?
3. Estella returns to see you for a routine prenatal visit There is good evidence
at 32 weeks of gestation. Dental treatment for her that methods to control
periodontitis went well and she is happy to have her oral bacterial levels in ex-
mouth feeling good again. The dentist mentioned that pecting and new mothers
because of her history of cavities, she should consider such as xylitol gum, dietary
taking measures towards the end of her pregnancy to changes, or chlorhexidine
, reduce her oral bacterial load to reduce her child's risk rinses can reduce caries
2/5
CORRECT Answers
1. Estella, a 32 year old Hispanic woman, presents to your Treating her periodontitis
office for a first prenatal visit. She is excited to be 7 is safe at any time during
weeks pregnant. She quit smoking recently because her pregnancy.
she heard from her sister who had a preterm deliv-
ery that smoking can contribute to preterm labor. She
wants to know if there is anything else she can do to
reduce her risk of a preterm birth. She has struggled
to care for her teeth. She has not seen the dentist in
several years because few dentists in your area take
her Medicaid insurance. As part of the visit you per-
form an oral examination and discover that she has
periodontitis (see photo):
Which of the following is true?
2. Estella returns two weeks later concerned about a The lesion should be
rapidly growing lesion in her mouth. She has never had left alone. With brushing,
anything like this before. It bled last night after eating flossing, and good oral
corn chips. Her sister says she had a similar lesion once care it will likely resolve af-
when she was on birth control pills. Her doctor told her ter pregnancy.
not to worry about it and it eventually went away on its
own.
What would be the best advice for Estella?
3. Estella returns to see you for a routine prenatal visit There is good evidence
at 32 weeks of gestation. Dental treatment for her that methods to control
periodontitis went well and she is happy to have her oral bacterial levels in ex-
mouth feeling good again. The dentist mentioned that pecting and new mothers
because of her history of cavities, she should consider such as xylitol gum, dietary
taking measures towards the end of her pregnancy to changes, or chlorhexidine
, reduce her oral bacterial load to reduce her child's risk rinses can reduce caries
2/5
