Important Dental Tips During Breastfeeding
Have you just entered motherhood andexperienced severe tooth pain?Has your dentist suggested that you need a root canal? Are you worried about being a breastfeeding mother when it comes to dental treatments? If any of these apply to you, join us until the end of this section ofSelMagzwith us.
Is it safe to have dental treatments while breastfeeding?
As a breastfeeding mother, you may be worried about the effects of medications on your baby’s growth. We recommend consulting with a doctor, informing them that you are breastfeeding so they can provide you with appropriate treatment.
If you are experiencing severe tooth pain or have significant decay, your dentist will likely suggest dental procedures such as fillings. They may also prescribe pain relievers andantibioticsto help alleviatetoothor gum infection symptoms.
Receiving dental treatments while breastfeeding is generally safe. However, your dentist may recommend temporarily delaying breastfeeding to avoid medication effects and side effects.
Various dental treatments that are safe during breastfeeding:
1. Dental Procedures
Dentists use anesthetics likelidocaineas a local and general anesthesia during dental procedures. This anesthetic does not affect the quality or quantity of breast milk for everyone. The dentist may consider different procedures for anesthesia during treatment for breastfeeding mothers.
If you undergo these procedures for tooth extraction, temporarily stop breastfeeding. You can safely recover from anesthesia in the shortest time possible and resume breastfeeding once the pain from surgery subsides.
2. Sedatives and Nitrous Oxide
If your dentist offers you a sedative, you can breastfeed your child whenever you are fully alert. You can also do this before going in and after coming out of the operating room.
The majority of medications used as sedatives during dental treatments are safe options for breastfeeding women, and there is no need to pump your milk.
The amount of anesthetic in breast milk will be minimal and will not harm the baby. Nitrous oxide is non-restricted and does not enter breast milk. This means that the anesthetic gas used during dental procedures exits the body quickly and does not affect breast milk. Therefore, you can safely proceed with this.
3. Dental Diagnostic Tests
Dental diagnostic tests to check for decay include using X-rays or needle imaging, etc. None of these diagnostic tests affect the production of breast milk, and you can breastfeed your child safely.
4. Use of Dental Products
You can use mouth gels, mouth rinses, or other dental products such as Anbesol, Medijel, Oraldene, and Corsodyl during breastfeeding. If you are breastfeeding, we suggest delaying cosmetic treatments liketeeth whiteningthat involve chemicals.
Before undergoing any specific dental procedures or treatments, always consult with the practitioner and inform them that you are breastfeeding. All medications and dental products for breastfeeding mothers must be prescribed by a doctor.
Now that you understand you don’t have to enduretooth painwhile breastfeeding, feel free to visit the dentist and start your treatment while informing them of your breastfeeding status.