Since dental health is an integral part of everybody’s life, many pregnant women are often concerned about their safety when undergoing dental procedures. It is even more disconcerting when such procedures involve oral surgery. One of the many questions that always come up is: How safe is oral surgery during pregnancy? There isn’t a direct answer to this question because some oral surgeries can be done safely during pregnancy while others are considered unsafe. Therefore, a lot of deliberations must be made before any invasive dental procedure can be performed on an expectant woman.
Certain Drugs and Procedures Cannot Be Used With Pregnant Women
As a pregnant woman, you must inform your dentist of your pregnancy before he or she performs any operations on you. This is important because most oral surgeries involve the use of sedative drugs and anesthesia in order to ease pain and nervousness. However, these drugs can have a major effect on the unborn child. According to medical experts, the best time to perform any form of oral surgery on an expectant woman is in her first and second trimester. It becomes extremely risky to operate on a woman who is in her third trimester. Even if the surgery doesn’t involve the use of sedatives, the pain and anxiety involved in such a procedure can negatively affect the unborn child.
Experienced Oral Surgeons Weight The Risks & Benefits
A good oral surgeon should be able to take into account the type of surgery, its necessity and the possibility of postponing it until the child is born without putting the wellness of the child and the mother at risk. In many cases, dentists prefer to postpone all dental procedures that do not put the life of the pregnant mother at risk until after childbirth. Only in extreme circumstances where the safety and wellness of the mother is pegged on an oral surgery does a dentist agree to carry out such a procedure.
Even in such situations, oral surgeons must take serious safety measures when operating on the expectant woman to minimize potential dangers to the woman and her unborn child. They have to choose the safest and most reliable surgical procedure for the woman, especially if she is in her third trimester. As an expectant woman, you should not just visit any dentist or oral surgeon for your oral surgery. Make sure the person operating on you is fully trained and has enough experience to perform such procedures safely. Ask them all the important questions regarding your situation to determine if they are the right choice.
