Dental treatment during pregnancy is safe

Date: 16 September 2015

The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) published an article stating it’s safe for pregnant women to undergo dental treatment with local anaesthetics. After conducting a study to determine if there was significant risk linked with dental treatment with anaesthesia and pregnancy outcomes, no risk was found according to study author, Aharon Hagai, D.M.D. 

Their study provided no evidence to show that dental treatment with local anaesthetics could be harmful during pregnancy, yet many women avoid dental treatment even if a dental problem is present. 

The study compared pregnancy outcomes between women who underwent dental treatment with anaesthetics and women that did not undergo treatment.  The study showed that exposure to dental treatment with local anaesthetics during pregnancy is not linked to increased risk of major medical problems in new-borns. 

Difficulties with brushing teeth due to gag reflex, morning sickness and the increased consumption of carbohydrates during pregnancy could lead to higher risk of tooth decay. It is very important to maintain excellent oral health during pregnancy as previous research has found that oral health is related to overall health. The safest time to have dental treatment is during the second trimester. 

Adapted by Institute of Dental Implants & Periodontics from original Medical News Today post

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