I just found out I am 9 weeks pregnant. Three weeks ago, I had porcelain veneers done. One of the things my doctor said when he told me I was pregnant was not to have dental work done in the first trimester. I almost stopped breathing. Did I do something that hurt the baby?

Amanda

Dear Amanda,

Before anything, let me say congratulations! It is a wonderful thing to be a parent. Next, is to take a deep breath. Everything is going to be okay. One of the things dentists are taught in dental school is to try to schedule dental work for women who are pregnant only during the second trimester. This is because, during the first trimester, the reason for that is it is during this early time of pregnancy that the child is the most vulnerable. During the third trimester, you are usually so big (which is perfectly normal because the baby is growing and healthy) that is isn’t comfortable for the mama, so we try to limit getting the work done during trimester two when you will be most comfortable.

The caution for the baby in the first trimester is you do not want to introduce a chemical into the body that can harm the child at its most vulnerable stage. To put your mind at ease. There is nothing harmful to a child that is used during the porcelain veneer procedure. At most, your dentist will use Lidocaine. This topical anesthetic is completely safe and can be used during delivery. Nothing in that procedure will have harmed your child.

I would go ahead and schedule your check-up and cleaning for the second trimester, but this is more for your comfort than anything else. One exception to the second trimester-only rule would be in the case of a dental emergency, such as a broken tooth or a tooth infection. When a tooth is infected, you need to get treatment. Not only will the infection continue to spread until the infected pulp is removed, but leaving that bacteria will spread to your baby and has been linked to low birth weight.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Prosthodontist Dr. Tostado.