Pregnant women used to put off having dental work done until after their child was born. Not any more, says Dr. Morey Furman, who runs The Dental Office of Dr. Morey Furman in Garden, City, New York and has more than 25 years’ experience in dentistry. The benefits of excellent oral hygiene are now considered to outweigh the risks that dentistry may involve, as he explains here.
There have been a lot of changes in the philosophy concerning how dentists are treating pregnant women these days. The philosophy now is that it is more of making sure that all pregnant women enjoy optimal oral health, rather than avoiding the risk of radiation exposure because of x-rays, or putting off dental treatment until after pregnancy.
These days, we try to see pregnant women as much as possible during their pregnancies to make sure their oral health is as good as possible. We now recommend that our patients come in for routine exams, have x-rays, filings, root canals, whatever they need to have done. The reason for this is because the dental infection or severe pain a patient may experience during her pregnancy could run more of a risk to her health, and the health of her unborn child, than the dental treatment itself.
Even if you need a tooth pulled, you get it done. If you need a root canal, you get it done. Whatever it is, you get it done; no more putting it off until after the baby comes. Good oral health is important when you are pregnant, not only for the woman herself, but also for her unborn child.
Different Anesthetics
Of course, we use different anesthetics for pregnant women. We use ones without epinephrine in it, which is a type of adrenaline. Normally, most dental anesthetics have epinephrine or adrenaline in them; the reason for that is because it causes basal constriction. That means it reduces the amount of blood flow at the injection site, allowing the anesthetic to work for a longer amount of time.
But most obstetricians will recommend not using an anesthetic without adrenalin of any kind during the pregnancy, so there are ones without it that we use. The only consequence of that is that the effect of the anesthetic will not last as long, which is not usually a problem.
So the only real difference is that we try to minimize the amount of narcotics, analgesics, and antibiotics prescribed to pregnant women, as the medications can affect the developing baby. Usually we consult with the obstetrician if we need to prescribe antibiotics.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
