Yes of course.
Pregnancy is a very special physiological situation for your body. The rise in hormone levels causes the gums to swell, get inflamed and bleed, and trap food, causing increased irritation to your gums. Frequent vomiting in the beginning of pregnancy creates an acidic environment in the mouth, which can damage tooth enamel and increase the risk of caries.
It is also accompanied by excessive salivation, which in itself doesn`t cause any damage and does not need any specific treatment. If you experience vomiting, it is recommended to refrain from tooth brushing immediately after. Instead, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water, wait approximately 30 minutes, and then proceed to brush. Brushing right away after vomiting can spread acid to your teeth and cause harm.
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends pregnant women to brush their teeth thoroughly with ADA-approved fluoride toothpaste twice a day, and floss daily. Fluoride toothpaste is safe during pregnancy, but will not reduce cavities in the newborn child. But poor oral health can affect both the pregnancy and the fetus. Studies have shown that women with gum inflammation have a higher risk of giving birth to a premature baby, and that the risk of low birth weight is also higher.
During the first three months of pregnancy, it is advised to refrain from non urgent dental treatments due to the frequent nausea and vomiting that characterize the beginning of pregnancy. If the treatment plan allows it, it is advised to postpone the treatments to the second trimester of pregnancy.
Dental work while pregnant, such as cavity fillings and crowns, should be treated to reduce the chance of infection. Once you reach the third trimester, it may be very difficult to lie on your back for an extended period of time. Lying on the left side is better. If needed, you can receive treatment and take frequent breaks according to your needs and as advised by your dentist.
Sometimes emergency dental work, such as a root canal or tooth extraction, is necessary and can be performed at any stage of your pregnancy.
Local anesthesia is safe. But it does cross the placenta after administration. If dental work is needed, the amount of anesthesia administered should be as little as possible, but still enough to make you comfortable. If you are experiencing pain, request additional numbing. When you are comfortable, the amount of stress on you and the baby is reduced. Also, the more comfortable you are, the easier it is for the anesthesia to work.
Anesthesia with inhaled nitrous oxide is to be avoided as is it is classified as a pregnancy risk group C category medication, meaning that there is a risk of fetal harm if administered during pregnancy.
Dental work often requires antibiotics to prevent or treat infections. Antibiotics such as amoxicillin, cephalosporins, metronidazole and clindamycin are safe for use in pregnancy, and may be prescribed after your procedure.
Dental X rays are also considered safe. According to the American College of Radiology, no single diagnostic x-ray has a radiation dose significant enough to cause adverse effects in a developing embryo or fetus, with appropriate shielding.
If you need painkillers after dental treatment, generally the dentists`s recommendation for pregnant women is tu use acetaminophen (Tylenol), it`s called paracetamol outside of the USA, which is considered safe. If the pain is more severe then the short term use (2 to 3 days) of medications that include codeine should not pose any risk.
NSAIDS including the low dose Advil or Nurofen are second line choices only and should be used in the second trimester only.