Is dental treatment safe during pregnancy?

Key Points

• Preventive, diagnostic and restorative dental treatment is safe throughout pregnancy.

• Local anesthetics with epinephrine (e.g., bupivacaine, lidocaine, mepivacaine) may be used during pregnancy.

• Special considerations should be given to pregnant dental personnel whose job duties can involve direct exposure to nitrous oxide and radiation.

Pregnancy

Oral health care, including having dental radiographs taken and being given local anesthesia, is safe at any point during pregnancy.1, 2 Further, the American Dental Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) agree that emergency treatments, such as extractions, root canals or restorations can be safely performed during pregnancy and that delaying treatment may result in more complex problems.1, 2 Although ACOG has a statement regarding postponing elective nonobstetric general surgery and some invasive procedures (e.g., cardiac catheterization or colonoscopy) until after delivery,3 their statement on oral care during pregnancy and through the lifespan1 states that oral conditions requiring immediate treatment, such as periodontal or endodontic treatment, extractions, or restoration of untreated caries can be managed at any time during pregnancy.