Is it safe to have a root canal during pregnancy?

Root canal therapy and pregnancy

During pregnancy women undergoes a great deal of hormonal disturbance that serves as a factor leading to dental issues. Although, pregnancy itself does not result in any new dental issue but it can aggregate the dental problem, if it already exists. It can deteriorate the dental condition leading to root canal often.

Preventative dental check ups and cleans are usually recommended prior to and during pregnancy to avoid more significant problems arising. If they do occur though, it’s still safe to have root canal treatment carried out during pregnancy.

In fact, it can be more dangerous to leave infection in teeth untreated as complications like facial swellings and fevers may develop.

Best Strategy For Root Canal During Pregnancy

1. Obstetricians consider the first trimester as the most crucial for the development of the fetus. Any avoidable treatment in the initial trimester is mostly shifted to next trimester with an aim to minimise any threat. If the dental situation is critical the dentist may clean the abscessed tooth as appropriately as possible and drain out all the infected fluid to relieve the patient from pain.
2. In the next three months of pregnancy X-ray can be performed to continue the process of a root canal procedure. The final treatment can be postponed until the delivery, if possible. Tell your Caulfield dentist about your pregnancy if you are facing any dental condition during this phase as it will enable the dentist decide the right process and time to move ahead with the treatment.

Associated Risks

• Anesthesia: Even so, the anesthetics that dentist administer are safe for conceived women, still the quantity of anesthetic applied to the pregnant women can be a cause of concern
• Chemicals: It has been established that neither the cleaning liquid administered during the treatment i.e. sodium hydrochloride or bleach nor the filing component is detrimental to the fetus.
• X-rays: To perform a successful root canal, dentist must have a good understanding of the severity of the infection and the internal layout and shape of the associated tooth and the related canals. This can only be achieved by getting x-ray done to get such necessary information.

At GlenHuntly Dental we use anaesthetic that is safe throughout pregnancy and with low dose digital radiographs and lead aprons, there is minimal exposure of the baby to any X-rays.

All the root canal work is carried out efficiently to quickly relieve your dental pain and allow you to get back to concentrating on the pregnancy.