Pregnancy, BF and Teeth/Safety issues

[bad girl]

i need to get a dental implant. my problem is that i am nursing my 23 month old, so my dentist thinks that i should wait til i am finished breastfeeding (i will probably not be done til he is about 4 i'm guessing?) i had the molar pulled out about 11 years ago so i think that the implant should be put in as soon as possible.(the molar on top is slowly 'sinking' downward.)

what should i do? go for it? or wait?
thanks!

[Smilemomma]

Good luck to you, and congrats on your new tooth!

[Kim]

Is it dangerous to wait to have a cavity filled?

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[Smilemomma]

Hi Kim! 27 weeks, wow, time does fly! Did you get the car seat yet? I sent it about a week ago. I was trying to find the book for it, but couldn't, so I sent a copy of the other one (same book, same seat). I was also looking for another headrest, but my 5 yo has been using them for anklets , so heaven only knows where they are. Sorry about the delay! If they turn up, I'll send them on!

Hope all is well, keep me "posted"!

[bad girl]

thanks so much smilemomma! i can't wait!

[Kim]

.

[Smilemomma]

Hurray! I'm glad it got there! I can just picture your tiny babe all nestled in...

As for the package ... with drool ! LOL!

[muffin]

dental anesthesia while pregnant

This is a question about Mommy's teeth:

I may be pregnant and I may need dental work done while I am pregnant. I am prone to cavities (bad Irish teeth) and I sense one coming on. My dentist also wants to crown a tooth within the next 3 months. Does anyone know about the risk of anesthesia for dentistry while pregnant? My dentist insists it's okay. While pregnant with my first child I didn't introduce anything unnatural into my body - even avoiding fumes! Having anesthesia, even the low-level kind for dentistry, worries me.

I may also risk a serious infection, or losing teeth by waiting.
Any thoughts?

[rsps]

I had three fillings put in while prgnant with no obvious problems. My OB/GYN said it was okay.

[LaraSB]

small cavities

When I was pregnant, I had a small cavity filled with that white type of filling and the dentist said I would not even need anesthesia. It was no problem at all. The drilling did not hurt a bit. It was great getting a filling without getting the novacaine shot first! I hate shots in my mouth!

For the bigger cavities, it seems like novacaine would be safe to use since it just works in the one spot. And it seems like the gas would be a bad idea to use. But I really don't know.

[3 little birds]

What is safe at the dentists during pregnancy!

I am totally ashamed to admit this, but I have not been to the dentist since before I was pregnant with my twins: ! They are two now and I am pregnant again. Plus, I lost a crown a year ago and I just know my teeth are a mess.

I am ready to face the music and go to the dentist. We recently moved so I won't know if its a good one or not-so I am wondering what should I know is not safe to be done while pregnant (20 weeks)???

Thanks in advance for any input !!!!

[dotcommama]

I went for a regular check up and cleaning when I was pregnant. They waited to fill a cavity until after I was pregnant (at the time I think I was 8 months). I pretty sure they said I could have had it filled even when I was pregnant, but they just figured why not wait.

So I'm sure you can go for a cleaning and check up and from there the denist can tell you if it's safe to have any work done while pregnant.

[Smilemomma]

Hi 3 little birds! Wow! My twins are 14 months, and I can't imagine another one! (I also have a 5 yo). You go, girl!

Check out the thread, "dental anesthesia while pregnant". It covers most all, I think. If not, please post back!

[beanma]

SmileMomma -- bad wisdom tooth and breastfeeding

SmileMomma,

hope you can offer a little advice. i've been bad. i haven't been to the dentist in years. had one in my hometown i went to pretty regularly and still went back to visit for years, but never got a regular one here where i live now and just kinda stopped going, but that's another story. anyway, to ramble on a little bit more my dh due to some sinus trouble he can't shake decided to go to the dentist after he hadn't been in years and years and now i know i've just got to go. (incidentally, he's gotta have two crowns.) i'm pretty sure they'll wanna do something to this bad wisdom tooth i've got. my guess is pull it, but i guess i'll have to go to find out.

my real question is, i'm breastfeeding my 11mo dd, what should i be wary of as far as meds? i dread hearing i should just wean her, although i'm hopeful that i won't. the practice seems to be mainly women according to dh, so maybe they'll understand, but i feel like i should go in armed with some knowledge about what's okay and what's not. any advice you can give on that score?

i'll tell you a little bit about the tooth in case you're interested. it's the bottom left wisdom tooth and it only ever came partially in. the crown is about level with the gum line and it's not inline with the rest of my teeth, so basically it just sits there and collects food particles and debris. they'll probably have to do some digging to get rid of it or fix it either one, but i imagine they'll just try to get rid of it since it's not serving any useful purpose anyway. i looked at it last night with a flashlight and it just looks pretty cruddy. i tried to fool myself into thinking it was stained for quite sometime, but it's just decrepit. i've been bad, bad, bad. since my dh told me about his crowns i've become conscious of this dull ache i have over there which i guess i was ignoring before, but i really don't think it's sympathy pain much as i'd like to.

anyway, that's my situation. any advice you can give would be muchly appreciated. i know you're crazy busy with your wee ones and practice. you do a great service here and i've pointed a number of folks this way so they can soak up some of your wisdom and kind words.

thanks muchly,
beanma.

p.s. have any thoughts on sinus trouble and bad upper molars? (seems like an infection, but dh took a course of sulfa drugs and that seemed to have no effect.)

[beanma]

oh, one more thing...

my dh said when he got his work done yesterday they gave him a shot of "novocaine" and he mentioned to the dentist or assistant that it made his heart race. he said they said that was epinephrine (sp?) in the "novocaine" and that it would wear off fast. it wasn't a problem for him, but it made neurotic me think it might be contraindicated for me because i'm on synthroid for hypothyroidism and can't take stuff like sudafed. so that's one more thing to add to the mix... i'm such a worrywart. :

thanks again for reading all this. it helps me just to type out my concerns so i'll have them somewhat articulated when i head out to the dentist. got an appt on the 31st now. i'd love to hear back if you've got the time, but i understand if you've got little ones and patients and other concerns to tend to.

[Smilemomma]

Thank you, beanma! I am a nursing momma myself, and I think ~somebody~ "in the establishment" should be standing up for us!

And even with all these babies, I've always got time for you, sweetie! It just takes me a little longer to get to the ones I can't just say, "look over here...."

Good luck, let me know how you do! I'll be thinking of you on the 31st!

[beanma]

thanks so much for the scoop

makes me feel more prepared when i go in. can't type long now 'cause the li'l bean just woke up, but i do appreciate you taking time to respond. i never thought about the upper wisdom tooth not hittin' nuthin', but that makes sense. i'll see what the doc has to say about it and i'll try to give you the report when i come back from the exam.

muchas, muchas gracias!

[LdyBluNH@aol]

should i tell?

i'm facing major dental work - surgery, root canal, fillings etc.

right now i'm inclined to omit the fact that my 3yr old nurses once or twice a day.

i'm thinking that given the facts that she's eating foods for her meals and as long as there no radioactive stuff involved, it wont impact her enough to have to 'face the music' as it were on the dr/staff reactions to extended bf'g.

what do you folks think? is there something i havent considered yet?

[Corriander]

Do they know that you have a 3 yo? You could just say that you are nursing a baby and not say how old he/she is. You could invent a fictious 1 yo sibling! You could say that a friend of yours is having the same proceedures done and she is breastfeeding a child and ask for her information.

I think it is always better to ask.

[Mamaste]

Anesthetics for mom while BFing

I have some major oral work coming up soon and would like info on how Novocaine and other commonly used dental anesthetics relate to breastfeeding. My 6-month-old DD is still nursing every few hours. What's safe? Do I need to pump and dump?

If I've missed finding the information here on other posts or archives, please point me back in that direction.

Thanks ~