Your mouth changes with pregnancy. Changes in hormone levels during pregnancy can raise your risk of acquiring gum disease and other dental issues. Hence, keeping in touch with your dentist and arranging frequent cleanings and checkups while pregnant is always a good idea. Regular dental care is one thing. But is it safe to get a tooth extracted while pregnant? A dentist in Honolulu, HI, would be able to help you get answers to your dental questions, so schedule an appointment today.
Why is regular dental care necessary during pregnancy?
Routine dental care is crucial for everyone, but pregnant women are at a higher risk of cavities and gingivitis. Because of your shifting hormones, you are more prone to gum swelling and inflammation, and severe morning sickness can introduce abnormal germs into your mouth. These are minor concerns, but they can grow into major ones if not addressed.
Because pregnancy lasts nine months — and you will be too busy dealing with a baby to see your dentist right away — you could ignore treatment for a year or more if you avoid the dentist merely because you are pregnant. Suppose you need another incentive to visit the dentist while pregnant. In that case, the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center claims that you can potentially pass cavity-causing bacteria to your child.
Outdated thinking
Many people are apprehensive about tooth extraction while pregnant due to outdated thinking about administering dental care to pregnant women. According to The New York Times, many dentists were taught that it was unsafe to treat pregnant women and would refuse help to women who required it, regardless of how serious the dental problem got.
Local anesthesia and other safe treatments
Local anesthetic is fine for the child during extraction, but is that the case for more extreme types of anesthesia, such as general anesthesia or IV sedation? Although the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center states that some forms of sedation along with general anesthesia may be administered in consultation with a prenatal care healthcare professional, it is generally recommended that women avoid sedation and general anesthesia during pregnancy.
When should a tooth be extracted?
The timing of a tooth extraction during pregnancy is critical. The American Pregnancy Association recommends scheduling necessary dental work during the second trimester and deferring non-essential treatments until the baby is born.
By the third trimester, you could find it difficult to lean back or recline while getting the tooth extracted. Dental procedures can also be done during the first trimester, and all pregnancies investigated in JADA’s study had local anesthetic during the first trimester.
