Wisdom tooth out at 5 weeks preg?

angelll

Ok i have an impacted lower left wisdom tooth,last time i was at the dentist she took xrays to see how far down it was,where it was etc with a view to extracting it. Since then (3 weeks ago) i found out i am expecting. I had a wisdom tooth out last year in the dental hospital under local,despite having a relaxant prescribed by my gp it took over 10 injections to numb the site, i shook uncontrollably for 10 mins and had heart palpitations and i was in agony 24/4 afterwards,only relieved by v strong antibiotics and painkillers. Every time i go to the dentist it takes loads of injections to numb me and even then i only start feeling properly numb on the way home. I think it's because i get so anxious... So tonight the side of the wisdom tooth broke off . I'm in no pain but just wondering what my options are? Should i get it out now? In the second trimester? The xrays are done so that's ok tg. Should i / could i even wait til after baby is born as i'm not in pain? My other wisdom tooth was only half a tooth for a couple of years til it started causing problems. I am seeing another dentist/ortho regularly for braces and periodontal treatment so they would be keeping an eye on it every month anyway? I just go to my own dentist for extractions/fillings as i get so nervous about treatment.
Sorry for the essay

Oral Surgeon

Congrats OP,

You have 3 options with pros and cons for both...

1.
Have the treatment during pregnancy.
The second trimester is usually best, organ formation is finished and usually lying supine is more comfortable than in the third trimester.
You could only have the treatment under local anaesthetic, no sedation or general anaesthetic. Done correctly , nearly all patients can have this treatment under LA.
You do however then have the issue of trying to control post-operative pain and possible infection. Usually in pregnancy, paracetamol (for pain) and penicillin(for infection) are considered to be safe but really no-one doctors or pharmacists will commit to this.... Depending on the degree of wisdom tooth impaction- this pain relief may not be good enough for you leaving you with nothing else to take....

2.
Wait until it begins to hurt you (and hopefully will be after the birth or not at all).
You run the risk of pain or infection in the meantime and in general a pregnant woman's immunity drops during pregnancy (kind of like a protection to the baby...). Again if infected, you are limited to paracetamol (for pain) and penicillin (for infection).
As you have said- your last tooth did not cause problems for some time- your dentist may be able to hazard a guess if pain or infection is imminent or not but don't hold him to it!!
If it causes trouble- you have the option of sorting it out temporarily with tablets and then taking it out with all the issues of option 1 or sorting it out with tablets and then planning extraction after birth...

3.
Wait till after the birth, bear in mind that you will be busy with looking after the child.... If then having sedation or strong pain killers after the procedure- be very aware that they may be excreted in breast milk and you should not breast feed for that period....

It's your choice with input from the dentist you has seen you but my general rule of thumb with pregnant patients is to monitor closely and treat urgently if required but try to wait until after the birth.

All the best,
OS

angelll

That's just the kind of reply i was looking for ,thank you so much .

Cat Melodeon

I was in a similar position to you in that I finally started to get my teeth sorted in January after years of neglect and three weeks after the xrays and first extraction I discovered I was pregnant. My dentist thought it better to get the work done then rather than wait as he believed the risk of infection was more serious than any risk to the developing foetus. I had to have a number of extractions and fillings done, all were completed during the first trimester (I'm now 27 weeks pregnant). One was the remains of a wisdom tooth. It was painful but it passed and for me it is better to have had that pain for a short while rather than the ongoing pain that had been there before. What is appropriate for you may be different, but whatever you choose to do make sure your general dental hygiene is as scrupulous as possible as there is an association between oral bacteria and stillbirth (rare but documented). Best of luck with the pregnancy.

angelll

Ok now i'm just freaked out. As i said i see the hygienist every month atm so will ask her at my next appt what extra precautions to take. I'm using inderdental brushs and floss atm so hopefully that will do....

Oral Surgeon

angelll wrote: »

Ok now i'm just freaked out. As i said i see the hygienist every month atm so will ask her at my next appt what extra precautions to take. I'm using inderdental brushs and floss atm so hopefully that will do....

Don't be freaked out, just keep close contact with your dentist and ask for a referral to an oral surgeon if necessary.
All the best,
OS