Can you help me? I didn’t know that I was pregnant and had gotten porcelain veneers. A few days later I learned about the pregnancy. I read that you shouldn’t do any cosmetic work when pregnant and now I’m worried that it hurt the baby. Is there anything I can do or is it too late?

Andrea

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Dr. Andrea,

 

First, take a deep breath. Your baby was not harmed from you getting the porcelain veneers. Have you taken that deep breath yet? Okay, Congratulations! What an exciting time for you. I can tell you are going to be a good mother because you are already stressing. It’s sort of the default emotion for new moms.

Here is why you don’t have to stress over this. Dental work is discouraged in the first trimester because that is the time when the baby is most at risk from foreign substances. The good news is the only medication used with porcelain veneers is a local anesthetic. The most common of these is Lidocaine. The particular anesthetic is approved for use in pregnancy. In fact, it is even used during delivery.

Dental Care When Pregnant

Be sure to schedule your regular dental checkup for your second trimester. This is because you will be past the more tenuous first phase of your pregnancy and the third trimester is when women are feeling less comfortable sitting in a dental chair for any period of time.

Do your best to avoid unnecessary dental procedures. The exception to this is if you develop a tooth infection. It would be important to deal with that because bacteria in your body affects the baby as well. Your dentist will not give you anything that will put your baby in harm’s way and you can speak with your OB ahead of time to find out what dental medications are approved.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentist Dr. Alan Yount.