29 Wks Pregnant, Need a Root Canal, and Scare of the Dentist

Keep in mind that gum infections cause systemic inflammation - which have been linked to preterm labor, and osteomyelitis - a bone infection - can happen from an untreated tooth infection by the time it requires a root canal. I'd find a good dentist, bite the bullet and go.

S.

I needed to get some dental work done while pregnant and my OBGYN wouldn't even give persmission to have it down in the first 12 weeks (which I realize you are past). But, because she was so wary of it, I decided to wait until after the baby was born. I don't know what they are so scared of, but if they are scared, then I am scared. So, I wanted. If you can deal with the pain, I recommend you wait.

I have over 20 years experience in a dental office. Root canals are needed when the pulp of the tooth becomes irreversibly infected. The infection can cause problems for you, and increases your chances of preterm labor. Root canals are not painful.

Oral sedation requires you to take benzodiazopenes which are probably not good for the baby. We will not do oral sedation on pregnant woman. However, I have never had an OB say a patient could not have nitrous oxide, penicillin or codeine - all safe during pregnancy.

The only time I have EVER had an OB say no dental work was in the case of a high risk OB patient who was having to take high doses of blood thinners. Your dental health has implications on your baby - routine dentistry is essential for you and your baby. Even x-rays are safe as long as a lead shield is used. For all the mom's who said that their OB says NO dental treatment, I would DEFINITELY question why. All research indicates dental treatment during pregnancy is not only safe, but very important.

The best endodontists we've found are at The Endodontic Group at ###-###-####

Ah I was right there with you! I had to go in for a root canal while pregnant and I have always had the fear of the dentist!!! It wasn't bad at all, I went away without any pain. The dentist I use is Dr. Kurt Calender. He's fantastic, always puts me at ease, gives you earphones to listen to music and doesn't talk to you while he is in your mouth unless to make sure you are not in any pain. I was very hesitant to have the work done while pregnant but I think that it is not a good idea to wait. Talk to your ob. Good luck

I would call your OBGYN and ask them or Call another dentist office & try to talk to a Nurse. I know that none of my OB Docs wanted me to be in severe pain because it was a stress on the baby but they didn't want me taking prescription pain medicine without their OK. If you are not in pain I would get them to put in a temporary filling until baby is born, for sure. Best of Luck & Bless Your Heart! I'm hurting for you :( What a sucky time for dental problems. What's even more sucky is that aspirin really is one of the best things you can take for dental pain, even over most prescription meds & you can't have that. I hope you feel better soon.

it's better not to wait if it is infected, because it can cause more problems if it is not infected then i would wait. but if you are in pain it's probably because it is

My elder daughter has had dental work done under general anesthesia. It's expensive because insurance won't cover it, but it was worth it to her.

The last time she had work done was with Dr. Richard Martin in Lewisville. His office was on Main right across from the hospital. She had an extraction done. Her roots are really curly, so it takes a lot of work to get the tooth out.

As far as painkillers go and when to have the surgery, you are so close to term that my inclination would be to wait until after birth if you can, but I'm not a medical professional. My younger daughter had a baby on Monday and ended up with a surprise C section. She's been taking Vicodin for the pain and she's breastfeeding. It surprised me that they'd give her Vicodin, but the obstetrician is the expert.

I had a root canal 3 weeks before I was due. I took the antibiotics and did not have any type of sedation for the procedure. They just numbed my mouth like normal and did the procedure. It wasn't too bad and they were able to give me a pain killer that I okayed through my ob/gyn. I think it was tylenol 3 but it was a couple of years ago and i don't remember. I would def go ahead and get it done though because you do not want the infection to spread. Hope everything goes good for you. W.

I had a root canal when I was just 2-3 months pregnant with my first and had no problems. However, I'm supposed to be getting other dental work done, and I'm putting it off until after this one is born. It's completely up to you, but it's supposed to be safe. The best thing to do is talk to your doctor.

OH I didn't use the gas at all because that made me nervous. I just had the novacaine or whatever it is that they use to numb you. I didn't use any pain killers. I am not a medicine taker, so I don't think I would have even if it were precribed. It was hard enough to do the rest while pregnant, but that's just me. Everything was okay with my obgyn.

I did see where someone's OB wouldn't let them get their teeth cleaned. That's a little odd because it's highly recommended to get your teeth cleaned while pregnant because any kind of infection or a lot of bacteria can effect the pregnancy negatively. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to see your dentist during pregnancy.

I have not had a root canal while pregnant but I have had six root canals in my lifetime (you'd think I never brush my teeth or something, but I have been told I over brush them).

Anyways, be sure to check with your obgyn and see what his/her advice is regarding root canals during pregnancy. Often times the obgyn has more experience in illnesses, etc. than you realize and may know of the best treatment plan for you .

As for the drilling and scraping, there is A BUNCH OF IT during a root canal!!! All of the tooth has to be drilled down to the root and it is very intensive, if you have a smaller mouth, you will have a very hard time with the root canal while you are pregnant...it's a lot of pressure on your jaw and, for someone who is not good at the dentist, I'm sure it would be a lot of pressure on your body.

Some people say they feel better after a root canal and some people say they hurt for a while. As for me, I always hurt for the first day (i have a smaller mouth and my jaw always hurts afterwards), then my tooth is sensitive for about a month afterwards and I can't use that side of my mouth to chew.

Good luck, I pray you will have comfort and that your baby will be safe no matter what!

As a hygienist, I know you need to be very careful about putting off a root canal. Remember that when one needs a root canal it is because of an INFECTION, in this case the pulp of the tooth is infected. If you had an infection in your finger would you just leave it? And it CANNOT be compared to kidney stones that you wait until it hurts.

Also remember that since it is an infection, the presence of that triggers the response of inflammation in your body - and not just at the sight, but in places you cannot see and is directly related to pre-term labor. Don't let these people's horror stories scare you. You will be fine. As for holding your mouth open, they will use a bite-block to prop your mouth open. You will be fine.

One thing you DON'T want to do is to wait until it hurts. Once it 'blows up' it is painful and difficult for the dentist to anesthetize. Once there is an extreme amount of infection, local anesthetic is not as effective.

As for sedation, that is a question that should go DIRECTLY to your OB. Remember, most root canals go just fine and it is a relief for the patient.

If you're not in a lot of pain and there's no medical reason to do it now, I don't know why it would hurt to wait. That said, when I suffered from kidney stones during pregnancy and was worried about taking pain killers, my ob told me that the stress of pain on a woman's body and the baby is sometimes worse than the risk of whatever medical relief you need. I had a root canal several years ago and I can honestly say it did not hurt at all! I didn't even feel the novacaine shot (I did not get happy gas or anything like that) Getting a filling was worse. The periodontist that did it was Albert Jowid ###-###-####) and he was great. The worst part was having to keep my mouth open. Good luck!

I had to have a root canal the week before my son was due! I went to a specialist (orthodontist?), my regular dentist recommended him. It was 8 years ago and I can't remember his name (it was in Richardson). If I think of it or come across it, I'll send it to you. It was fine, he was wonderful and I experienced no pain, just a little discomfort which is normal. I have had probably 3 or 4 in my lifetime. I have figured out now to take my ipod, it really helps me... I hate even a teeth cleaning! Just the noises send me over the edge! Best wishes!

I was in your position last year and I waited. They gave me some antibiotics for the infection which was causing the pain. (the root canal may be necessary but there is most likely an infection in there causing the pain) Once I treated that the pain was gone...for well over 6 months until I was ready to go back.

I had three root canals while pregnant, for some reason I was grinding like crazy and breaking my teeth. They were really not that bad at all. Call you OBGYN and see if they can get some Vicadin. Mine said that as long as you take it in moderation and not through out an extended period of time you will be fine. Once the root canal is done there is usually no pain at all. In fact I was in TERRIBLE pain before the canal and felt awesome afterward.

You will be fine trust me. I use Dr. Lazaris at Texas Dental in Plano. They have video games, movies, etc that you can play while having the procedure done that keeps you mind off of what is going on. You can even bring your own movie to watch.

Good luck

I did and it's not as bad as you think. The main problem you'll have is being comfortable in the chair. I was also terrified when I went in for mine, but it ended up being no big deal. If you've had a filling before, you probably remember all the drilling and scraping, etc. -- it's awful! But there's none of that racket for a root canal. I think there is a little drilling at first, then the rest of the time it's quiet. It does take a long time, and it's not my idea of a good time, but it was more bearable than I thought it would be.

J.,

Education and information is always the key to good decision making. Perhaps you might be interested in this article about root canals prior to making your decision:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/0...

Good luck!

root canals aren't bad at all. Dont' beleive all the hype about them. I've had three and there was no pain at all. Remember they take out the nerves when doing a root canal, so you won't have any sensitivity or pain. Maybe a little soreness where they numb you, but other than that you will be fine. I doubt that you can do the root canal when you are pregnant. I think the dentist can only perform procedures in the second trimester. But please don't stress about the root canal. It is really not bad at all. About 1 hour in the chair and then you go home and are numb for a few hours after that. The next day you can eat and everything. I never even took any pain medicine afterward.

Hope this helps.

Hello J.,
Lots of good advice here about the teeth, root canals during pregnancy, etc. I thought I would address the subject about being nervous going to the dentist.
I'm no expert, but I have made a lot of progress getting rid of a fear of large crowds and meeting new people by practicing being calm. I wonder if it would help for you also to practice calming yourself by breathing deeply and talking yourself down (mentally, not out loud!?)
It helps also for me to write down ahead of time why I'm feeling fearful, what the worst thing(s) that could happen, and reply to myself on the same page why I don't need to be afraid. I got the technique many years ago out of a book called The New Good Mood Therapy book. Many years ago, I was fairly depressed and went to a counselor and she recommended that I read it. It helped a lot for the depression and the techniques I learned from the book have helped me work through many life issues over the years.

Good luck with the decision about the root canal! Sounds like you can go either way: treat the infection with antibiotics and wait for awhile if you want or get it done while pregnant.

A.

I am 25 weeks pregnant and I asked my OB/GYN doctor just to get them cleaned and he said NO. I would ask your doctor and I bet he tells you to wait. I surprised your dentist would even see you that far along without doctor consent. My husband has needed a root canal for two years and so far so good. I bet you can wait. I would not take the chance with too much bleeding and the drugs but this is just my opinion. Good Luck!

Dr. Warren Marrow is a wonderful Endodontist. He is kind, caring and gentle. He will make sure you do the right thing. Not only is he an Endodontist, he was a pharmacist before becoming an Endodntist. He calls all of his patients the evening after their procedure to check on them. He is located on the corner of Rosedale and 8th Avenue in Fort Worth. My husband is terrified of going to the dentist because it is difficult to anesthetize his mouth and Warren has helped him through 2 root canals.

I am also 29 weeks and need one. My dentist said to wait, as long as I can deal with the pain. There is no need to risk it. I have lost a baby as a result of a dentist visit. Not happening again!

I had a root canal 3 days before I delivered my son. The endodintist was so good that I fell asleep in the chair. I can't remember the name of the endodintist but they were recommended by my general dentist, Dr. Pamela Moore in Plano. You could probably get the information from them. Their number is ###-###-####.
I would think that it's up to you when you get it done but you really don't want to have mouth pain while you are delivering and especially after birth when you are trying to recover and bond with your baby.
Good luck whichever way you decide to go.

I had a root canal while pregnant. A root canal isn't a pleasant experience anyway, but while you are pregnant the only difference is no gas. Pain medication is the same. You shouldn't put it off dental work during your pregnancyif you need it done you need it done. After the baby is born won't be any easier and I do not know if you are breast feeding if you can have gas or not. You might was well get it out of the way before the little one arrives and be done with it.

I had a horrible tooth ache in my 8th month of being pregnant and had a root canal done. The baby was okay and so was I, couldn't sleep in 3 days before I had it done, I didn't want to take anything, the Tylenol didn't work at all, I did take Advil, I know you aren't suppose to when you are pregnant, but it did help a little. I'm very thankful for the root canal, and I'd do it again.
I guess if you aren't in pain, I'd wait, but let me tell you, sometimes those tooth aches can come out of the middle of no where and that pain is HORRIBLE!
God Bless