The treatment and extraction of teeth immediately after childbirth causes many young mothers to worry: can teeth be extracted, what about anesthesia and other questions.
In recent years, dentists have begun to use less surgical manipulation in dental treatment. This is primarily due to the availability of good technology and the quality of the treatment preparations. Nowadays, there are many materials that can be used to treat root canals as well as possible. This can serve as a guarantee for the long life of the tooth.
There are now many ways in which you can have the crown of your tooth repaired. This procedure is only appropriate when the root canals are well-treated. However, there are also situations in which treatment of the tooth is not possible, or the effect of such treatment will be short-lived. In this case it is not advisable to postpone tooth extraction, especially if you are planning to become a mother soon.
When carrying out a complete sanation of the oral cavity, all “problematic” teeth must be removed. After all, it is these that act as breeding grounds for germs and inflammation. Moreover, such teeth can not survive the hormonal changes that have arisen in your body. They can get sick, and the infection that is in them will spread throughout your body, in addition, it can enter the body of your unborn child. These consequences can be avoided, but in order to do so, not only the “problem” teeth must be removed, but also the roots of destroyed teeth that cannot be repaired.
When do pregnant women need a tooth extracted?
Pregnancy is a special condition in which the body undergoes hormonal restructuring. It is necessary because of the fetus, but its side effects are a decrease in immunity and a deficiency of certain substances in the body (e.g. calcium, which strengthens bones and teeth). As a result, tooth decay develops faster than usual, and the risk of gum inflammation increases as well.
Unfortunately, in some situations, tooth extraction is the only option. A few examples are:
- An acute toothache that has to be experienced constantly and cannot be managed with conventional treatment methods;
- Inflammation that has spread throughout the mouth;
- Severe trauma to the jaw or teeth that cannot save or repair the tooth;
- Severe pain from pulpitis (nerve inflammation);
- A tooth cyst or other malignancy that threatens pregnancy.
Ignoring any of these problems can have dangerous consequences for the mother and her unborn baby.
Tooth Extraction During Pregnancy
If you think that an unplanned pregnancy does not force you to undergo all the necessary doctors, you are deeply mistaken. Pregnancy is a natural state of the female body. Although there are some contraindications related to the treatment and removal of teeth in this situation, a visit to the dentist is a necessity. During the appointment, the doctor will be able to conduct a complete examination, after which you will receive appropriate recommendations for the care of the oral cavity at home. If necessary, the dentist will be able to prescribe you the necessary treatment. Tell the doctor about the upcoming addition to your family, and then try to go to the dentist’s office regularly.
You should know that surgical procedures are stressful for the body. The dentist must remove the tooth as gently as possible. At the same time, the doctor will use the necessary anesthetics. Currently, there are anesthetics that have been developed including for pregnant women. Such drugs are unable to penetrate the placental barrier, so they will not negatively affect not only your body, but also that of your child. Dentists will only remove teeth from pregnant women if there is an urgent need. Teeth are also removed routinely, but most often in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. If you do need to have a tooth extracted, the doctor should proceed with great caution, taking into account your pregnancy.
Among the complex surgical procedures in dentistry, the removal of wisdom teeth should be highlighted. Often after the removal of these teeth, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics, which can last for several days. Moreover, some time after the surgery, the patient may have a rise in body temperature. For a normal person, this reaction of the body is quite normal, but for a pregnant woman, it is undesirable. That is why it is better to wait with such a surgical intervention.
Wisdom teeth extraction during pregnancy
Specialists believe that if the wisdom tooth does not interfere, then it is not worth removing it. Another thing is serious indications: severe pain, inflammation, including purulent nature. It is impossible to tolerate discomfort and ignore other symptoms, because it can lead to various complications. The infection can spread to the fetus, and the baby will have health problems after birth.
The following should be taken into account:
- you need to contact only experienced highly qualified specialists, who will perform wisdom tooth extraction accurately, painlessly and without negative consequences;
- The operation is allowed in the 2nd and 3rd trimester, but not in the ninth month;
- X-ray diagnosis is performed only as a last resort, it is better to use a less informative, but safer radiovisiograph;
- For anesthesia, only special medications that are not harmful to the mother and fetus can be used.
Surgery Procedure
The optimum time for wisdom tooth extraction during pregnancy is the end of the second trimester or the seventh-eighth months, i.e. when the baby’s main organs have already been formed. Otherwise, the procedure is done in the same way as usual:
- local anesthesia is used;
- Specialist swings the tooth and extracts it from the hole.
In some cases, you may need to correct the gum by laser, for example, if you want to help a tooth to erupt and remove an overhanging gumline. The duration of the surgery is determined by the complexity of the problem, but it usually goes very quickly.
After the procedure:
- The blood clot that forms at the surgical site should not be touched or removed;
- It is necessary to regularly rinse the oral cavity with healing and disinfecting preparations and decoctions of herbs as recommended by the doctor.
Your doctor will prescribe medications that can be used during pregnancy. If you follow all the recommendations and follow the prescribed procedures regularly, the healing will be quick and painless.
When a pregnant woman’s tooth extraction is unavoidable
You should get your teeth in order even before pregnancy. Or at least not to bring them to such a state that you have to remove them. But it is extremely dangerous to deliberately keep an infectious focus in your body, which can lead to flus. If the dentist insists on having it removed, then it must be done, period. The sooner the woman does it, the better it will be for her and the fetus.
Delaying an extraction is dangerous if the pregnant woman
- there is a complex tooth fracture;
- There is a serious inflammatory process near the root;
- If the tooth is completely decayed and festering below the gum level;
- If the root of the tooth is loose;
- If the wisdom tooth is erupting improperly, displacing the other teeth in the row, or causing regular trauma to the cheek.
The choice in favor of extracting a wisdom tooth in a pregnant woman is made by the dentist on the basis of a narrowly focused X-ray. Pregnant tooth X-rays taken with a modern dental imaging machine will not affect the development of the child in any way.
Tooth extraction for pregnant women is done under anesthesia. Anesthetic injection will not only reduce the physical discomfort of the expectant mother, but also reduce her psycho-emotional tension. The latest anesthetics include substances that are recommended for treating pregnant women and children.
Why is it better to remove teeth during pregnancy and not after delivery?
After giving birth, a woman is physically exhausted and more susceptible to infections. The hard work done by the body has taken a lot of energy and the recovery phase after oral surgery can be delayed. Therefore, if there are critical indications for extraction, the tooth should be removed regardless of the trimester of pregnancy. If the surgery is tolerated, the tooth is removed during the safest period.
Which trimester of pregnancy is best for tooth extraction?
The first trimester is the most difficult for tooth extraction
The creation of baby teeth in the embryo takes place during the 7th-14th week of pregnancy. This means that the future mother has not fully realized that life has begun inside of her, and her baby is actively acquiring a set of baby teeth. The first trimester is the most important time for the fetus, because it is during this period that all organs are founded. Indications for tooth extraction in such an early stage is a critical situation, fraught with dangerous complications.
But what if, at this crucial moment for the baby, Mom finds out as if from the sky during a planned visit to the dentist that she urgently needs to have a tooth extracted. For example, because of untreated periodontal disease, when a deep periodontal pocket with pus has formed between the root of one of the teeth and the gum.
In this case, the doctor, considering the patient’s specific situation, will try his best to stabilize the process, to slow down its course in order to postpone tooth extraction until the second trimester.
Second trimester is the best time for dental treatment
In the second half of pregnancy is the mineralization of the baby’s baby teeth rudiments. The second-hand material – calcium, the little builder “gets” from the mother, often to the detriment of her health. And even if the woman drinks vitamins, milk and does not forget about the cottage cheese and kefir, teeth can still crumble to such an extent that some of them have to be urgently removed.
By the 16th week, the formation of the placenta and the laying of internal organs are complete. At this term, removal will require a serious effort on the part of the dental surgeon, so that neither the mother nor her baby will experience the slightest disturbance. It is the second trimester that is considered the ideal time for dental treatment and extraction.
The third trimester is a time for informed decisions
Neither the pregnant woman nor her unborn child needs additional stress. Likewise, they both don’t need a dangerous focus of infection. In the third trimester, the mother’s body starts to actively prepare for the upcoming delivery and it seems that such a shaking up, as a tooth extraction, is not necessary. But every case has its own indications and if the doctor insists on the extraction because of chronic inflammations or cysts that are dangerous for the woman and the baby, then you should definitely listen to your doctor.
Do not complicate your life with the thought that after tooth extraction the dentist will prescribe antibiotics – in uncomplicated situations you do not need them.
Tooth Extraction After Delivery
It is quite common to hear that pregnancy can take away a woman’s teeth. It’s quite possible, but it doesn’t happen to everyone. If you plan your pregnancy well in advance and prepare for it thoroughly, you can become an exception. You should have your teeth taken care of before you conceive.
Among the recommendations of dentists is to have preventive check-ups at least once every 6 months. Even if certain changes have occurred to your teeth during this time, it is unlikely that surgical intervention will be needed to correct them.
Some expectant mothers refuse to visit a dental clinic not only before pregnancy, but also during it. If you still haven’t parted with your sore teeth during pregnancy, you need to do it now. For breastfeeding mothers, dentists use gentle anesthetics when extracting teeth. Such anesthesia is eliminated from the body within a few hours. Thus, when you have a tooth extraction, qualified doctors will not even distract you from your breastfeeding regimen. When you need more complex dental surgery that is scheduled, doctors will most often advise you to wait a little longer.
Tooth extraction after delivery (when breastfeeding)
When breastfeeding her baby, the mother must carefully monitor her own health. If there is an infection, it can be transmitted to the baby, because communication with the baby is very close. In addition, a sore tooth causes stress, is physically exhausting, and this can have a bad effect on the quality and quantity of milk. However, surgery during this period is undesirable. The need for extraction is determined by the doctor after careful diagnosis and the lack of effect of therapeutic treatment.
Indications for tooth extraction during lactation
During the procedure, medications are used that Medications capable of penetrating the mother’s milk are used during the procedure. If it is possible to postpone the date of surgery, extirpation is performed after the transfer of the child to artificial nutrition. The dental unit is removed urgently in cases of purulent inflammation, as it contributes to the spread of infection throughout the body.
In what cases surgery is necessary:
- Festering cysts, abscesses, periostitis;
- Staggering in periodontitis, third-, fourth-degree periodontal disease;
- Odontogenic osteomyelitis, maxillary sinusitis, phlegmon;
- Root fracture;
- pulpitis, which cannot be treated because of the complexity of the root canals;
- Retinitis eight, complicated growth of the third molar, pressure on neighboring teeth;
- Deep dental caries that has affected the root.
Unscheduled extraction is also performed when there is severe, ongoing pain.
The procedure has contraindications, including acute respiratory infections, chronic diseases, oral infections, sinusitis, severe liver, kidney, heart and vascular disorders, leukemia, blood clotting disorders, and mental disorders.
Preparation for extraction
If the tooth began to hurt, the gum is swollen, the breath smells bad, it may indicate severe inflammation in the dental system. At the appointment, the dentist will take a medical history, conduct a visual examination, and refer the woman for an X-ray. It is important for a nursing mother to avoid psycho-emotional stress, so she is allowed to take sedatives beforehand.
The best option for maintaining mental stability and eliminating fear is nitrous oxide oxygen sedation (NOSS). It is performed in the doctor’s office before the procedure. The patient inhales the gas and falls into a semi-drowsy state. Additionally, a local anesthetic is injected into the gum.
The process of tooth extraction in a nursing mother
The procedure for a woman in the period of lactation is no different from that performed for normal patients.
Extirpation of a tooth unit is performed in stages:
- antiseptic treatment of the mucous membranes;
- Anesthesia with local antiseptics, or general anesthesia;
- Pliers are applied and the ligament is detached;
- rocking or dislocating;
- extraction from the hole;
- stopping the bleeding.
If the third molar is removed from below, the operation becomes more complicated. In order to pull it out, the doctor dissects the gum, removes part of the bone, separates the roots into fragments and extracts them individually. To prevent infection, the wound is treated with antibacterial agents. After all the manipulations, the gum is sutured with absorbable or non-absorbable suture material.
X-rays and anesthesia in lactation
X-rays or CT scans are almost always taken before the extirpation of a dental unit. This is necessary to assess the structure, position and condition of the root system. To protect the patient from X-rays, a lead apron is worn. It blocks the dangerous waves, but after the procedure it is better to decant and pour out the first batch of milk.
For local anesthesia, private clinics use medications approved for pregnancy: Ultracaine, Ubistezil, Artifrine, Alfacaine, and similar medications. They do not contain toxic components that can cause allergies and other side effects. Primacaine has a short half-life, so feeding can not be skipped.
Anesthesia is used only in extreme cases, if a complicated and prolonged extraction is done. If general anesthesia is necessary, the child is temporarily transferred to artificial nutrition. During this period, the mother must regularly pump milk so that its reproduction continues.
If antibiotic therapy is necessary after a difficult extraction, breastfeeding will have to be cancelled for several days. With prolonged withdrawal, doctors recommend giving artificial formula not through a pacifier, but through a spoon or even a syringe without a needle. Otherwise, the child may refuse to breastfeed, as the process of sucking milk from a bottle with a nipple is much easier.
Recommendations for the recovery period
In order to avoid complications after surgery, you need to follow all the doctor’s advice. After the procedure, the doctor puts a cotton swab to stop the blood. It must be held for no more than 10 minutes, otherwise the blood clot will stick and come off together with the cotton. With high blood pressure, bleeding lasts longer, so the tampon can be held for 15 to 20 minutes.
In the first few days you should not:
- to overheat the body, make warming compresses;
- Do not do hard physical labor or sports;
- Licking a blood clot;
- eat hot, spicy, coarse food;
- drinking through a straw;
- smoking;
- touch the hole with a toothbrush or other objects.
You can eat after 3 to 4 hours. The question of feeding the child should be coordinated with the doctor. Local anesthetics are practically not in the blood, and in the mother’s milk components penetrate to a minimum extent. If the doctor has not prescribed other drugs, you can feed the baby in a few hours.
After the termination of the anesthetic agents, pain appears. Increased body temperature is possible. To relieve acute symptoms, it is allowed to take Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Naproxen. You can reduce pain and swelling with cold compresses.
Rinsing the mouth and brushing the teeth is allowed on the second day. For rinsing, use pharmacy preparations: Romazulan, Chlorhexidine, Miramestine. They will prevent the development of infection and inflammation. You can rinse your mouth with a water solution of soda and salt. Decoctions of oak bark, chamomile, calendula are used to improve healing of damaged tissues.
