Dental work while pregnant?

[VioletMommy]

So yesterday I started to have extreme pain in one of my teeth. It is an old amalgam filling from 10+ years ago. I knew there was another cavity in it, which is common with silver fillings, but I was hoping that the pain would stay away until after baby came. It did stop in the first trimester, but came back with a bang yesterday. It's constant, not just after eating or being irritated. So now I am very irritated and not in the blissful waiting for baby stage I was in previously. I'm also afraid to eat anything but smoothies. All I think about is ripping the damn thing out, but since I am so close to delivery, (I'm 38 weeks) it seems like that's extreme, and I should just get it filled. But it's a huge silver filling, and I am quite aware of the damage it could do while being removed. I have a dentist who follows the proper procedure for 'safe' removal of amalgam fillings, limiting exposure with the mercury, but still....the thought of increasing my baby's risk of autism is scary. And the pain killer is a concern too, even though the reasearch I've done indicates that the amout is so miniscule, it's unlikely to have an effect. Even when not pregnant, I don't take so much as a tylenol, so now I'm using vodka for pain control (soaking my tooth in it) but that's quite inconvenient to do all day, and it wouldn't look good to be 9 months pregnant and reeking of liquor all the time!
Anyway...Do any of you mamas have opinions or experience with this?

[Pom]

Violet, with DD #1 I ended up having not one, but TWO root canals done (on the same tooth). Lots of X-rays, etc. If it helps at all, from what we can tell, DD is an exceptionally happy, healthy and bright little peanut at almost 4. Especially this late in the game, and with how conscious you've been all along to eat well, etc. I would think everything would be fine. My practitioners have always told me we tend to vastly underrate the power of our own bodies and placentas to protect the babes. But ultimately, you got to do what you feel most confortable with, right?

You may also want to consider, how much will you want to bother going through it all once the baby is out?

[NordicMamma]

I'd go to the dentist and get it sorted NOW.

I wouldn't have routine dental work done while pg, but if you are in pain you really shouldn't wait.

Good luck!

[VioletMommy]

Thanks for the replies..I saw the dentist today, and he referred me to an oral surgeon, whom I'm seeing tomorrow. I'm having the troublesome tooth extracted, because the nerve is dying and I would prefer to lose the tooth, which is a molar far in the back, rather than have a root canal. Besides, my insurance makes you wait a whole year after requesting a root canal for the procedure to be performed. Insurance companies are evil. :