Frequently Asked Questions

I recently found out I was pregnant and am approximately 4 weeks along. I had planned on scheduling dental procedures to remove several damaged teeth including two broken wisdom teeth and it would require either multiple visits with local anesthetic and a very large amount of stress/panick related trauma OR one visit involving hospital check in and being put under for the procedure to be done all at once. Since finding out I was pregnant, I'm concerned about doing EITHER method, as mentally I have a history of severe panic which would lead to large amounts of stress and high risk of stress related miscarriage in the case of repeated visits, and I've read that being put under could cause a high risk also (please note the information about being put under was gained from the web, so I can't verify it). I do plan to talk to an OB about the matter as I am not comfortable putting off a procedure until after labor with it being a good 8 months away, but wanted a more clear answer about the hospitalization method. As I said, repeated visits are a high risk for me, which was discovered while I was growing up due to the stress related dangers. Any information you can provide about the process used in hospitalization procedures would be greatly appreciated as I'm concerned that waiting could harm my babies health much more.

You are doing all of the right things and asking the right questions. Dentistry is considered the safest during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. There are several studies that indicate that the oral infections and high bacteria associated with tooth decay and gum disease could increase the chance of a premature birth. Your dentist and OB can tell you about different options for sedation that could be safe during pregnancy.

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