Positioning of Pregnant Women in the
Dental Chair
During the third trimester of pregnancy, when the
woman is supine, the uterus may press on the inferior
vena cava and impede venous return to the
heart, which may lead to hypotensive syndrome
(occurring at a rate of 15-20%) and loss of consciousness
[13].
In order to prevent this from happening during
dental treatment, when seated in the dentist's chair
the pregnant woman's head should always be higher
than her feet, and, if necessary, a small pillow (or
a folded blanket) should be placed under her right
hip ("left uterine displacement") so that the uterus
is moved away from the inferior vena cava
At this stage, there is no risk of teratogenesis, nausea
and vomiting have subsided, and the uterus is
not yet large enough to cause discomfort.
It is essential to treat all dental problems during
the second trimester, not only because the
woman should have a healthy mouth, but also
because during labour she might need to be intubated,
in which case teeth with a bad prognosis (e.g.,
tooth mobility due to periodontal disease) may be
damaged or lost [2].