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Hormonal changes during pregnancy can make mothers more prone to tooth decay and gum infections. Vomiting due to morning sickness during pregnancy can also be bad for oral health. Gum disease during pregnancy is reported to be a factor in preterm birth. So, if the tooth problem is so severe that you have to pull out a tooth during pregnancy, is it safe?
Is it safe to pull teeth during pregnancy?
In general, you need to be sedated before pulling your tooth so that you don't feel pain. The safety surrounding the anesthetic and its potential effect on the unborn child is still being debated. Lidocaine is known to enter the placenta via the mother's bloodstream and is suspected to affect fetal development.
However, it turns out that tooth extraction during pregnancy is still relatively safe. A study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association in 2015 reported that using lidocaine when extracting a tooth had no effect on the risk of miscarriage, birth defects, or preterm birth. The effect of this anesthetic also did not affect the weight of the baby, after comparing the groups of pregnant women who were injected with Lidocaine and those who were not. Moreover, the benefits of tooth extraction to stop tooth infection outweigh the risks.
Even so, you still shouldn't forget to tell the dentist that you are pregnant as soon as you schedule a tooth extraction. Your doctor may consider lowering your dose or changing the type of anesthetics you will be given. Your doctor may also prescribe pain medication that is safer to take during pregnancy.
It should be noted, if you still feel unbearable pain, you should ask for additional anesthesia. You should feel as comfortable as possible when pulling teeth. Otherwise, the stress you experience during the process can affect your fetus. The more comfortable you are, the easier it will be for the anesthetic to work.
When is it best to extract teeth during pregnancy?
The best time to do tooth extraction during pregnancy is in the second trimester of pregnancy. This is the safest time because by this time the fetus is developing quite well. If done too early in the first trimester, the fetus is still in a critical stage of growth and development for consolidating its vital organs. It is feared that the drugs received by the mother when pulling teeth at this time can affect fetal development.
Then, can't you get a tooth extraction done in the third trimester? It is possible and safe to do. However, pregnant women will find it more difficult to sit for a long time or lie on their back in the same position in the third trimester. Because, in the third trimester, the pregnant woman's stomach will be bigger, making it uncomfortable if you sit for a long time.
Other dental treatments, such as teeth whitening and other cosmetic procedures, should be avoided during pregnancy.
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