Tooth troubles while pg - which is better?

[HeatherB]

So I've been nursing a tooth a long for as long as I could. I was getting ready to have work done on it before I got pg, then it felt better and I was pg, so no more digging on that. Now, it's as bad or worse than it's ever been. Pretty sure a filling fell out and now I can't eat without significant pain.

Sooo... I'm almost certainly facing the decision of either root canal or extraction. I have a friend who recently had a root canal done and is happy with it. I have read a lot of "natural" opinions that say root canals are evil and you have to just pull it. If I get it pulled, I might consider eventually getting an implant, but I've *never* looked at that kind of thing and it kinda freaks me out.

I talked to my MW, who said that either way I need to be on abx *before* the procedure. So I know I need to get in to see someone ASAP so I can get abx and then get whatever I'm going to have done.

But does anyone else have thoughts on root canal vs. extraction, specifically while pg? I really think I'm going to have to go with extraction (I've considered doing it myself on several occasions!!), but being toothless (ok, in only one spot) is scary, too. I just don't want extra infection floating around, especially as my MW says there can be issues with infection of the placenta itself.

[HeatherB]

No one has input? I've seen a dentist today who strongly recommended root canal (at another office - an endodontist). I'm still not sure what to do.

[~Adorkable~]

Not sure which is better but I have had an extraction, bone graft and implant and I can tell you that it is totally trouble free 10 years later. My issue was in the socket not the tooth but boy I wish I had done it sooner, pain free since it got pulled.

[~Adorkable~]

Oh and if it shows, mine was front and center bottom so did very much. They can put a temporary fake tooth there pretty easy, since they will probably need to put some sort of spacer to keep the space between the teeth open till the implant is put in, the can a tach a fake tooth to that ( or in my case they ground off the bottom of my real tooth they took out and used that cause it matched better!)

[teeg1973]

I have been in a similar situation before, only the tooth had a previous root canal on it before. The choices were a surgery to cut of any remaining root tips or the extraction. The surgery only had a 60-70% success rate for what I was dealing with (not to mention cost), so both doc and I chose the extraction. He said we could talk implants after the babe was born, although it was not necessary (upper, back molar). I have not had the implant and don't know that I will. While the extraction was kind of nasty with all the pulling, it was over VERY quickly!

Good luck in your decision.

Tracy

[paintedfire]

Root canals aren't nearly as bad to go through as most people think. I was on antibiotics literally hundreds of times as a child so when I was a teenager my teeth just started chipping and falling out of my head.

I've had nearly every dental procedure known to man, excluding full extraction of every tooth and dentures. Besides losing about ten pounds (which at 5' and 95 pounds I couldn't really afford to lose) because I couldn't really eat anything but soup for three months, it wasn't really that bad.

I tend to go in line with the thinking that saving the natural tooth is always worth it - if I ever get a sinus or ear infection that causes any swelling the teeth that had root canals are fine, but the ones with implants DIG into my gums until they bleed. Not pleasant.

Thank said, it's up to you and your dentist - but mainly you. I hope you get this taken care of quickly. There's nothing quite like a toothache.

[HeatherB]

Thanks for the input. My main concern with a root canal is the theoretical risk of infected tissue remaining and causing myriad problems (perhaps not entirely identifiable). This dentist assured me that the endodontist she's sending me to is very, very good and has special equipment to make sure they don't leave anything.

I'm also going to be on antibiotics before and after the procedure (either one), and I'm wondering if that might negate some of the risk. Is it standard to be on abx for a root canal? My MW said it was very important given being pregnant.

I currently have all of my natural teeth (minus some fillings, plus my wisdom teeth), so having anything this big is freaky. But, really, I just want to make sure I make the best choice for the long run. The dentist assured me this is an easy tooth to access and see so and do root canals on (it's one of the front premolars, #5), and would not be a great one to be missing as it would surely show.

Cost-wise, getting an implant or bridge would be far more expensive, in total. But, I think I could wait on that? I know my insurance doesn't cover much of it (50%). Still, the crown on the root canal would only be covered at 50% and I'll still be paying $600 for that, plus whatever I'll owe to the endodontist.

This is NOT a time when I can really spend extra, so it's doubly stressful!

Thanks, again!

[lizardmom]

I had a root canal at 32 weeks and there was definitely some concern but both my MW and the endodontist agreed that it's better to get it done then to leave the infection in your tooth where it can be released into the rest of your body. In my case, I did actually develop bacterial vaginosis before the root canal was done and that infection can come from an infected tooth. I guess I should have had it done sooner. The best time to have dental work done is the second trimester.
Personally, I don't take antibiotics for dental procedures (or anything really). I did use some grapefruit seed extract pills for a few days after the procedure but I didn't have any problems with the root canal.