Dental treatment with anesthesia during breastfeeding

08/31/2020 Dental treatment with anesthesia during breastfeeding​

Dental problems can occur at any age. Everyone is familiar with unbearable toothache that prevents us from living normally. Attempts to remove it provide only temporary relief, but a dentist can truly help. Our article will discuss whether teeth are treated during breastfeeding, how to do it so as not to harm the baby. From it you will learn the causes of dental diseases, whether you can visit the dentist during breastfeeding, and most importantly, whether you can continue feeding breasts while visiting the dentist.

Causes of dental diseases

Tooth enamel is one of the strongest materials in the human body, but under the influence of various factors, even it begins to break down. The main cause of dental disease is the activity of bacteria that cause caries. They absorb carbohydrates and in return release lactic acid, which destroys teeth. A “hole” in a tooth is formed when, in a small space of the tooth, food that has entered there is processed by many bacteria, thereby releasing a large amount of acid.

This is not the only cause of dental disease. The causes are divided into congenital and acquired. In the first case, we are talking about teeth that have not yet grown. If the child’s mother suffered a serious illness during pregnancy or received insufficient nutrition, then the child’s teeth will be weak and susceptible to disease. Heredity can also be included in this category.

In the second case, we are talking about factors affecting dental health, such as:

• absorption of excess fluoride;
• mechanical damage;
• insufficient oral care;
• taking medications;
• lack of calcium or vitamin D.

Anesthetics that can be used by nursing mothers

In dentistry, pain relief is usually classified into general and local. In the first case, we are talking about anesthesia - intravenous or inhalation. Local anesthesia is the numbing of an inflamed area using an injection, gel or spray. It is highly undesirable to use general anesthesia when providing dental care to nursing mothers. If this cannot be avoided, then until complete recovery the woman should feed the baby with a special infant formula or pre-prepared breast milk.

Among the local anesthetics used by dentists are:

• Novocaine. Allowed during lactation only in cases where the expected benefit for the woman is much higher than the possible risks for the baby. Before administering the solution to the patient, the dentist must weigh the pros and cons. Sometimes the medication causes negative side effects: headaches, weakness, drowsiness, convulsions, dizziness, arrhythmia, bradycardia, swelling of the lips.
• Lidocaine. The official instructions state that only a doctor can prescribe medicine to breastfeeding women. The drug passes into milk in very small quantities, and its oral bioavailability is low. This means that the amount of active substance that is released in milk is minimal. Therefore, the potential harm to the child is low. Possible adverse reactions after the administration of lidocaine: numbness of the tongue, convulsions, drowsiness, tinnitus, blurred vision, angioedema, urticaria and some others.
• Articaine. A product approved for both pregnant and lactating women. Dentists use it if they need to perform infiltration or conduction anesthesia. Side effects of the drug include: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, low blood pressure, allergies.

Attention! Nursing mothers are prohibited from administering anesthetics that contain high amounts of adrenaline. Such drugs negatively affect the baby’s health, in particular, they provoke negative changes in the child’s cardiac activity.

Is it possible to visit the dentist during breastfeeding?

Often women encounter dental problems even during pregnancy, this is due to the fact that all valuable microelements are spent on the formation and development of the fetus, and calcium deficiency begins in the mother’s body. Lactation continues to aggravate the situation, but the woman is afraid to go to the dentist so as not to harm the child. In fact, it is not only possible to treat teeth, but also necessary! Here are several reasons for this.

Constant pain affects a person’s psycho-emotional state. The mother becomes nervous and irritable, which can directly affect the amount of milk, up to its complete disappearance.

How to care for your teeth during pregnancy?

In the early stages of pregnancy, the best protection for teeth is careful care and the use of toothpastes containing fluoride. Choose toothpastes without whitening effect. We also recommend contacting the clinic at the first appearance of toothache. We remind you that a mother’s bad teeth threaten her child:

• infection (pathogenic microorganisms cause complications in the development and formation of the fetus),
• hypoxia (periodontal damage leads to intoxication and inflammation).

For the health of the unborn child, it is necessary to maintain good oral health of the mother.

How to prepare for treatment?

The main problem that arises before going to the dentist is fear. The best preparation is to find a good doctor whom the woman can trust. Treatment requires a positive attitude, as increased emotional irritability can affect the effect of anesthesia.

Be sure to feed your baby before going to the doctor, as the first milk after treatment should be expressed.

If serious treatment is planned, you must consult with the doctor who is observing you. He may advise you to stop breastfeeding, but do not stop without your doctor's advice.

If you had to stop breastfeeding, do not use a pacifier; the baby may get used to it and not take the breast.
Also, to maintain lactation, milk must be expressed.

Basic principles

The main principle that guides the attending physician is to determine the optimal interval between feeding and removal of the anesthetic from the mother’s body.

The half-life of a modern anesthetic is at least 20 minutes. After two hours, the concentration of the drug in the body is no more than 1-2%, the risk of exposure to the child is minimized.

It happens that a tooth needs not only to be treated, but to be removed. If you have inflammatory diseases such as tonsillitis, stomatitis, oral candidiasis, gingivitis, colds, flu, tooth extraction is contraindicated!

Before removal, the following procedures must be carried out:

1. the doctor collects anamnesis;
2. takes x-rays;
3. identifies contraindications;
4. collects tests.

After removal, the doctor will tell you how long not to feed the child. The hole will hurt on the first day; you can take painkillers, but only after the recommendation of a doctor. If the removal is accompanied by a purulent process, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics, and the doctor will decide whether breastfeeding can be continued or should be interrupted .

If treatment with painkillers is safe, then bleaching is not such a harmless method. Whitening is more of a cosmetic than a medical procedure, but many mothers wonder whether it is safe to do it during lactation. The procedure is harmful not so much because of the drugs used for whitening, but because the teeth are already weakened during this period.

After bleaching, it takes time to restore the enamel, and since insufficient amounts of calcium enter the mother’s body during breastfeeding, the process may be delayed. The whitening procedure during this period can harm the teeth and lead to caries.

Impact of X-rays on lactation

If the doctor ordered an x-ray, then do not be alarmed:

• During the procedure, only the jaw and a little face are irradiated;
• protective elements are put on the chest that do not allow rays to pass through;
• The radiation dose is too small to affect the body as a whole and the quality of milk in particular.

Komarovsky's opinion

The famous pediatrician Evgeniy Olegovich also touched upon the topic of dental treatment during pregnancy and lactation. He is sure that if the mother took insufficient amounts of calcium-containing medications, then the dental problem will worsen during lactation.

It is necessary to treat teeth, especially if a woman is overcome by severe pain, it promotes the production of adrenaline, which can adversely affect the fetus and the availability of milk. Komarovsky also draws attention to the need to inform your attending physician about your situation.

Safe anesthetic drugs for breastfeeding used in dentistry

In dentistry, there are two types of anesthesia:

• general (anesthesia), which is used for surgical interventions and can be inhaled or intravenous;
• local, which can be in the form of a spray (gel), the effect of which does not exceed twenty minutes, and injection.

Sprays (gels) are usually used to locally numb the area of ​​the gum where the anesthetic will be injected.

Novocaine

This drug is used during lactation with extreme caution and only in cases where the expected benefit for the nursing mother significantly outweighs the possible risk of unpleasant consequences for the baby.

Lidocaine

Despite the warning in the instructions for the drug about the undesirability of use during lactation, dentists quite often use it in their practice. This is explained by its local and short-lived effect, as well as the minimum concentration of the active substance, both in the blood and in breast milk. That is why Lidocaine is considered relatively safe for a baby during the treatment of his mother.

Artikain

The drug is acceptable for use during lactation. At the same time, doctors note that there is no need to interrupt feedings for a long period, since critical indicators of its concentration in milk are not detected.

IMPORTANT. When breastfeeding, the use of anesthesia with a high content of adrenaline is contraindicated.

Prevention

It is easier to prevent any disease than to treat it later, this is especially true for nursing mothers who are prohibited from a number of medications. Measures to prevent dental diseases:

1. Oral hygiene is the key to health;
2. see your dentist regularly; pregnant and lactating women need examinations more often, as their bodies are weakened and susceptible to diseases;
3. use floss and mouth rinse after every meal;
4. choose pastes with fluoride;
5. take vitamin complexes containing calcium and vitamin D, but strictly on the recommendation of a doctor;
6. eat foods containing calcium and vitamin D;
7. change your toothbrush at least once a month;

These are basic tips and recommendations for preventing oral diseases.

To summarize, we can say that you need to treat your teeth even if you are a nursing mother, especially if you are experiencing unbearable pain. If the tooth does not yet hurt, you should not allow caries to destroy the deep tissues of the tooth, especially since modern anesthetics are low-toxic, are quickly eliminated from the body and do not affect milk.

The main thing is to coordinate all actions with your doctor, be sure to inform the dentist that you are breastfeeding and get ready for treatment. Stress is harmful to the mother and has a negative effect on her milk, and can also reduce the effectiveness of pain medications. Prevention is the best cure for disease!

Preparing for removal

If the tooth begins to ache, the gums are swollen, and the breath smells bad, then this may indicate severe inflammation in the dental system. At the appointment, the dentist collects an anamnesis, conducts a visual examination and sends the woman for an x-ray. It is important for a nursing mother to avoid psycho-emotional stress, so she is allowed to take sedatives in advance.

The best option for maintaining mental stability and eliminating fear is oxygen sedation with nitrous oxide (NAS). It is done in the doctor's office before the procedure. The patient inhales the gas and falls asleep. Additionally, a local anesthetic is injected into the gum.

Dental treatment during lactation

The lactation period is not a contraindication for dental treatment. Without treating emerging caries or ignoring the pain, you can start irreversible processes in the oral cavity. Dental treatment while breastfeeding involves some prohibitions (taking antibiotics, implantation), but most often it is absolutely harmless. Otherwise, there is a risk of early tooth loss and the appearance of severe inflammatory processes, as a result of which lactation will have to be stopped urgently.

Having taken care of the oral cavity during pregnancy and getting rid of caries and other problems, you can forget about it during lactation. The well-known doctor Komarovsky recommends that you undergo treatment in the second trimester.

Is it possible to feed a baby immediately after dental treatment is completed?

Ideally, three to five hours should pass between the administration of the anesthetic and the application of the crumbs to the breast. Knowing this, a woman can prepare a portion of milk for one feeding.

During a forced break in lactation, it is recommended to pump. This simple measure will eliminate the occurrence of painful and unpleasant sensations.

What can and cannot be done during breastfeeding?

X-ray of a tooth

Dental X-rays are not contraindicated for nursing mothers. Doctors use a special protective apron that will save the baby from getting harmful compounds into the body through milk. After the procedure is completed, you need to express all the milk and pour it out, and at the next flush you can feed the baby. There is no need to worry if your milk supply decreases slightly after the x-ray. This is normal, so lactation will resume after some time.

Treatment of caries or pulpitis

Treatment of caries, and even more so pulpitis, during breastfeeding is a necessary measure. Mechanical impact on the teeth of a nursing mother is not recommended in only one case: if she is in an unstable mental state caused by severe fatigue.

• To eliminate pain, it is not prohibited to use anesthesia (Lidocaine, Ultracaine). It is worth remembering that modern drugs not only have a short half-life, but also do not affect the child in any way, since they pass into milk in small quantities.
• If further treatment requires antibiotics, you should consult your doctor. Antibacterial drugs can affect the baby's health, so breastfeeding will most likely have to be stopped.

Wisdom tooth removal

During breastfeeding, tooth extraction, including wisdom teeth, is allowed. As a rule, for such dental interventions the same type of anesthesia is used as for filling. Modern drugs relieve the patient of pain and allow the tooth to be pulled out without discomfort.

Another question is if there is a need for antibiotics. The doctor must select the appropriate treatment and prescribe medications for the mother that are safe for her and the baby. The main thing is to warn the dentist about breastfeeding in advance.

Enamel whitening

A nursing mother should not endure toothache and caries. However, it is completely different when it comes to a cosmetic procedure such as whitening. It is not recommended to do it during lactation, since the recovery period after enamel whitening takes much longer than in non-breastfeeding women. There is a risk of complications and caries on bleached teeth due to insufficient amounts of calcium absorbed by the mother's body.

Whitening using special equipment can be replaced with toothpastes and professional gels designed for this purpose. Chewing gum is not prohibited. More serious intervention can damage tooth enamel, so you should forget about the Hollywood smile for a while.

Recommendations for the recovery period

In order to avoid complications after surgery, you need to follow all the doctor's advice. After the procedure, the doctor applies a cotton swab to stop the bleeding. It should be held for no more than 10 minutes, otherwise the blood clot will dry out and come off along with the cotton wool. With high blood pressure, bleeding continues for a longer time, so the tampon can be kept in place for 15 - 20 minutes.

In the first days you cannot:

• overheat the body, apply warming compresses;
• engage in heavy physical labor and sports;
• lick a blood clot;
• eat hot, spicy, rough food;
• drink through a straw;
• smoke;
• touch the socket with a toothbrush and other objects.

You are allowed to eat after 3-4 hours. The issue of feeding a child should be discussed with a doctor. Local anesthetics practically do not enter the blood, and components penetrate into mother's milk in minimal quantities. If the doctor has not prescribed other medications, then you can feed the baby within a few hours.

After the anesthetic wears off, pain appears. Possible increase in body temperature. To relieve acute symptoms, you can take Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Naproxen. You can reduce pain and swelling by using cold compresses.

Rinsing your mouth and brushing your teeth is allowed on the second day. For rinsing, pharmaceutical preparations are used: Romazulan, Chlorhexidine, Miramestin. They will prevent the development of infection and inflammation. You can rinse your mouth with an aqueous solution of baking soda and salt. To improve the healing of damaged tissue, decoctions of oak bark, chamomile, and calendula are used.

Types of anesthesia and contraindications

Pain relief during treatment and tooth extraction is performed using topical medications. Most often, dentists use Lidocaine. It is harmless for nursing women and babies (with the exception of allergic reactions), because:

1. side effects are rare;
2. acts locally and for a short time;
3. does not affect the functioning of internal organs;
4. passes into milk in small quantities;
5. has a short half-life.

The use of anesthesia during breastfeeding is possible at any stage. It will not harm the baby if you remember a few points:

• treat teeth after the 1st trimester of pregnancy;
• warn your doctor in advance about breastfeeding;
• do not use local anesthesia containing adrenaline;
• feed your child well before visiting the doctor;
• express and pour out the milk produced after the application of anesthesia (the drug is eliminated from the body in about 5-6 hours).

Dental problems after childbirth

It should be noted that it is during the postpartum period that many women begin to notice that the condition of their teeth has worsened. There is such a popular expression “teeth flew”, which describes how quickly dental problems arise in young mothers. And this is along with the fact that severe hair loss also begins, and sometimes skin problems.

Dental problems after childbirth are common

Indeed, such unpleasant changes are not uncommon. During lactation, the female body is significantly depleted - reserves of calcium, various vitamins and minerals are spent first on carrying a child and then on feeding him. This is why dental pathologies arise – caries, gum disease.

Usually the problem is noticeable already during pregnancy. But for some irrational reasons, expectant mothers are in no hurry to treat their teeth, postponing this moment until later. Meanwhile, if pregnancy gingivitis, serious gum inflammation, and the risk of premature birth are not treated, the risk of premature birth increases significantly. Therefore, teeth and gums can be treated during pregnancy; the most favorable period is the second trimester.

The hypertrophied form of gingivitis affects all gums

It has been noted that untreated teeth during pregnancy, a predisposition to dental problems, bleeding gums - all this around the middle of lactation becomes an imminent threat of urgent treatment. And in order not to lead to the removal of teeth or the formation of large carious cavities, you need to go to the doctor, without fear of either the treatment itself or anesthesia.