Dentist :/

sbride68 · November 2014

So I wasn't sure where to post this but I am in need of going to the dentist which I have put off for a long long time. Bad teeth kind of runs in my family despite brushing daily so I naturally have bad teeth. The last time I went to the dentist which was a couple years ago they told me I had 9 cavities and they wanted to fill them all at once which wasn't an option even with insurance because I could not afford that. Well now I'm sure I have more but I have a couple that are bothering me pretty bad. I know of a different dentist that will work with payments so I was going to call them in the morning but I was recently told that getting novacaine shots are bad while pregnant. I am almost 16 weeks now. My only problem is that I am a total wimp and have to have shots to get work done to my teeth but I have a fear of needles. On top of that I am also deathly afraid of the dentist and get severe anxiety when I even think of going. I am trying not to stress too much so it doesn't hurt the baby but ism dreading even calling the dentist in the morning to see about an appointment. Anyone else feel this way or have any advice?

chailife34 · November 2014

Don't worry, you are not alone! I have to go too (pain in two teeth which have had cavities drilled before), but I hate going!! It makes me want to whine: I don't wannnaaaaa!!

sbride68 · November 2014

Agreed! Have you heard anything about novacaine or laidocaine hurting the baby? Or is it safe? I was going to call my on in the morning and ask for sure

sunnysidexup · November 2014

I hate having cavities filled, especially since a former dentist of mine hit my nerve. If you're stressed, just wait. Or, have them do a few at one appt and the rest at another, or all at once. Ask about when they recommend doing it - some won't do cleanings or cavity fillings until you're further along.

queenrich · November 2014

I work in a dental office. Ideally if you can refain from getting freezing/X-rays your whole pregnancy, that would be best. However, if you are having a dental emergency (serious tooth pain), the best time to get it done is in the 2nd tri. When we have ladies who are pregnant with a dental emergency we use the most minimal amount of local anesthetic that doesn't contain epinephrine. Lidocaine will pass the placenta. If you have cavities that can wait, I would wait if I were you. Talk to your dentist, I'm sure he will understand.

sbride68 · November 2014

queenrich said:
I work in a dental office. Ideally if you can refain from getting freezing/X-rays your whole pregnancy, that would be best. However, if you are having a dental emergency (serious tooth pain), the best time to get it done is in the 2nd tri. When we have ladies who are pregnant with a dental emergency we use the most minimal amount of local anesthetic that doesn't contain epinephrine. Lidocaine will pass the placenta. If you have cavities that can wait, I would wait if I were you. Talk to your dentist, I'm sure he will understand.

Thank you so much!! That definitely made me feel a little better. I may try to just nurse them along and go after the baby is born but I will have to see. I just started experiencing some pain when I eat or drink from one tooth so hopefully I can hold out.

queenrich · November 2014

sbride68 said:

queenrich said:
I work in a dental office. Ideally if you can refain from getting freezing/X-rays your whole pregnancy, that would be best. However, if you are having a dental emergency (serious tooth pain), the best time to get it done is in the 2nd tri. When we have ladies who are pregnant with a dental emergency we use the most minimal amount of local anesthetic that doesn't contain epinephrine. Lidocaine will pass the placenta. If you have cavities that can wait, I would wait if I were you. Talk to your dentist, I'm sure he will understand.
Thank you so much!! That definitely made me feel a little better. I may try to just nurse them along and go after the baby is born but I will have to see. I just started experiencing some pain when I eat or drink from one tooth so hopefully I can hold out.

That's good to hear! Make sure you floss and brush religiously so that those cavities don't get any deeper. If that tooth starts to throb all the time, you might have to bite the bullet and get it looked at. Good luck!!

marijaa333 · November 2014

Lidocaine with cross the placenta but has no adverse effect. It's category B. My OB okayed it yesterday.

zbornak123 · November 2014

I have a packet from my OB that states local anesthetic (shots) are fine during pregnancy as are dental x Rays, just make sure abdomen is shielded. I don't want to step on any toes, but by letting multiple cavities go and not getting regular cleanings at the dentist, you are kind of asking for bad teeth, ya know? I've just found its more of a lifestyle (diet is a huge factor for cavities) that runs in families that contributes to bad teeth rather than genetically bad teeth, which is extremely rare. I would encourage you to brush AND floss TWICE daily (ok, flossing at night only should be enough, right?) and eliminate or reduce sugary foods and drinks, or at least rinse your mouth with water after eating them.

Sorry if is this is lecture-y. I don't know you or your habits, and I'm not juding anyone on here for cavities. Just trying to add some info. I hope you get the care you need at a decent price! Is there a univeristy near you? They sometimes have clinics at the dental schools and an experienced attending is checking the entral students every step of the way, and they can be much cheaper than private practice. Also beware of come corporate practices that essentially open up a credit card for you with a high interest rates as their "payment system". For some folks that's a viable option, but it can get others into trouble. Good luck!

Oh one more thing, maybe ask for the topical anesthetic jelly before the shot. If they truly rub it in and leave it for a full minute or two, and keep saliva away from it, it can help a lot with injection pain. Some times they slap it on wet tissue and 5 seconds later give the shot and it doesn't do anything. It tends to work best on the upper teeth.

Ok! That's it!

*edited for spacing

tiggyt · November 2014

What PPs said. Also, if you're super anxious about the dentist, you could see if they have nitrous oxide, which I'm pretty sure is safe for pregnancy but definitely ask your doctor first. I know my dentist ordinarily has nitrous on hand for anxious patients at no extra cost - I've just never wanted it so I never asked if it was safe for pregnancy.

marijaa333 · November 2014

Sooo...contrary to my OB, my dentist himself said he'd rather not use lidocaine on me this early on, and scheduled a visit for mid-January. He said that the nervous system is developing at this stage and that he'd rather wait until late second trimester if possible. I received a temporary filling for the meantime.

ladyteach0505 · November 2014

Oh my. I WISH I didn't have to go to the dentist, but my OB just told me Monday I better not let things go. If you have a tooth that causes a problem it can get inflamed and cause preterm labor. I have HORRIBLE anxiety about hurting the baby and am very upset about having to do anything while pregnant, but I lost a large filling and 5 months is a long time to go...

KellyFM522 · November 2014

I feel like it's 9 months of do I or don't I?! And lots of conflicting statements about everything. My OB said a hard no to X-rays and that dental work can wait unless it's an emergency. Getting my teeth cleaned is A-okay but that's it. And my dentist won't do work on a pregnant person without a note from the OB. (Like middle school) but like everything you need to make a choice. My favorite quote is by Eleanor Roosvelt "Do what you think is best, for you will be criticized for it anyway" slight paraphrase but you get the gist. It's my favorite mantra during pregnant and parenting.

Mommabroad · November 2014

As far as the 9 cavities thing-- same happened to me a few years back, I put off dentist visits for a few years after college because I'd never had a cavity and thought I had super-teeth. HAH. I got a plan for a prepaid company online... I think I found it on dentalplans dot com? Anyway you have to use certain providers but I ended up getting all my fillings at $40-$50 each which was much better than the quotes I got at my first dentist (they pulled out the "financing options," ouch!)

And at the expensive place the first one they did they cracked my tooth, it sucked bigtime. I hate needles too so I get all the dental anxiety but good luck and wish you all strong teeth! Extra flossing now to minimize problems

LO95 · November 2014

KellyFM522 said:

I feel like it's 9 months of do I or don't I?! And lots of conflicting statements about everything. My OB said a hard no to X-rays and that dental work can wait unless it's an emergency. Getting my teeth cleaned is A-okay but that's it. And my dentist won't do work on a pregnant person without a note from the OB. (Like middle school) but like everything you need to make a choice. My favorite quote is by Eleanor Roosvelt "Do what you think is best, for you will be criticized for it anyway" slight paraphrase but you get the gist. It's my favorite mantra during pregnant and parenting.

YES! PREACH! 9 mo of do I or don't I? Truest thing I've heard all day.

marijaa333 · November 2014

@KellyFM522 said:

I feel like it's 9 months of do I or don't I?! And lots of conflicting statements about everything. My OB said a hard no to X-rays and that dental work can wait unless it's an emergency. Getting my teeth cleaned is A-okay but that's it. And my dentist won't do work on a pregnant person without a note from the OB. (Like middle school) but like everything you need to make a choice. My favorite quote is by Eleanor Roosvelt "Do what you think is best, for you will be criticized for it anyway" slight paraphrase but you get the gist. It's my favorite mantra during pregnant and parenting.

YES! There is indeed so much conflicting advice. I think you'd enjoy Emily Oster's book, Expecting Better - she wrote it because she was so frustrated by the lack of clear, evidence-based advice. Sadly, she doesn't discuss dentistry, but she does provide a lot of good references so you can make your own choices.

sbride68 · November 2014

Well I went to the appointment today and they said that I do indeed have a cavity. It's pretty bad. Not to the root but close so they want me to have a root canal. It is my first molar on the bottom so when I asked if it could be pulled instead he strongly suggested not to because the teeth behind it would shift and cause problems down the road. I just don't really want to pay for a root canal. I would almost rather just have it pulled. It's an $80 vs $1000

I have had a molar pulled on the top on the other side of my mouth and have not noticed any shifting and that was almost 4 years ago now. I figured I would talk to my ob again before I schedule the procedure. I would like to wait if possible but I'm thinking that it can't was till after baby is born unfortunately

wheninrome627 · November 2014

I'd rather pay $1k to save a tooth than get it pulled. You'd have to pay 5x that amount to get an implant, assuming you want to have all your teeth.

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