Tooth extraction during pregnancy

During pregnancy, is tooth extraction recommended?

The question should not be whether it is advisable but rather whether it is possible since recommendable implies that it would be good to do it. In response to the concern that it is possible, the answer is yes. Whenever necessary, whether due to pain, infection, etc. It is possible to perform dental extractions on pregnant mothers, taking the necessary precautions. 

During the first trimester, while the fetus is developing, it is advisable NOT to take x-rays due to the effect they could have on the developing baby. During the last trimesters our attention would be more focused on care that does not precipitate childbirth and on the mother's discomfort in lying down in the dental chair. In other words, as long as there is no urgency to perform dental extractions, it is recommended that they wait until the mother has given birth, or that they be done during the second trimester. If there is an emergency (pain, infection, etc.) it can, and should, be performed at any time.

Is there a chance that any of the liquids or injections in this process could harm the baby?
Whenever any medication is administered to a pregnant mother, it must be taken into account that the baby may be receiving part of this medication. The concern lies, mainly, in that the medication does not influence the normal development of the child.

The medication commonly used to perform a tooth extraction is local anesthetics. Although they can cross the placenta and reach the baby, they are not harmful. The doses used for a tooth extraction are also extremely low.

Should a pregnant woman give special care to her teeth, whether it be oral cleaning or teeth whitening?
It is essential that pregnant women include their dentist in their medical team. The presence of oral infections could cause the mother to have complications during pregnancy such as premature birth, low birth weight babies and preeclampsia. Every woman should go to the dentist as soon as she finds out that she is pregnant and she should follow the doctor's instructions regarding the frequency of visits during pregnancy and home care.

Teeth whitening, as well as any other cosmetic procedure, is totally contraindicated during pregnancy and should be postponed until after childbirth.

Can pregnancy increase the risk of cavities?
No. Dental cavities are nothing more than the consequence of the formation of acids on the teeth. These acids are formed by the microbes that inhabit our mouth as they digest the food left on and between the teeth. Pregnancy, per se, does not increase the production of these acids. In many cases what happens is that the pregnant woman consumes foods rich in sugars or carbohydrates to satisfy the so-called "cravings" and these, in turn, are converted into acids by microbes. Even so, if the woman maintains an adequate oral hygiene regimen and visits the dentist, she should not have more cavities during pregnancy than a woman who is not pregnant.

How true is that: for every pregnancy I lose a tooth?
This is, without a doubt, one of the most talked about myths in our societies. Fortunately, it is nothing more than a myth. It is absolutely false that a tooth or molar is lost for every pregnancy. This story has been passed down from generation to generation, becoming a "truth" for many people, but the reality is that it is "a grandmother's story" that is, a myth.

During pregnancy many changes occur in a woman's body, most of them initiated by the hormonal changes that are occurring. These hormonal changes cause any periodontal (gum) condition that already existed, and previously went unnoticed, to become more acute and lead some women to lose a tooth in some cases. Hence, popular ingenuity combined with a lack of knowledge has led our grandmothers (and theirs) to pass this myth on to their daughters. This only occurs when said problem was already present and is not, at all, the norm.

Today's women who practice good oral hygiene techniques and visit the dentist do not have to lose any of their teeth during pregnancy.

Source:
Dr Richard Ford
Periodontist
Dental implants
(507)223-4742
Text provided to Saludpanama.com by Dr. Richard Ford. Originally published in the Ellas Supplement

By Lineth Del Cid