Dental Treatment in Pregnancy: What and When
The question is not whether to treat, but which treatment and when.
Three trimesters, three approaches
In the first trimester organ development continues and nausea is common, so examination, hygiene work and any emergency care are done while elective work waits. The second trimester suits planned treatment: nausea has eased and long chair time is still comfortable. In the third, lying flat for long can be uncomfortable, so visits are short, the patient is tilted slightly and major work is deferred.
Anaesthesia, medicines and x-rays
Local anaesthesia can be used in pregnancy with an appropriate agent and dose; performing a painful procedure without it is the less desirable option. For imaging the principle is to take nothing unnecessary, but a diagnostically essential film can be taken with a lead apron and thyroid collar. Medicines should be chosen in consultation, not self-prescribed.
Oral care points during pregnancy
- Gum bleeding may increase; care should intensify, not relax
- Do not brush right after vomiting; rinse with water first
- Waiting about half an hour protects the softened enamel
- Frequent snacking for nausea raises decay risk
- A growing red swelling on the gum should be assessed
- Continue fluoride toothpaste and daily interdental cleaning
Getting Here, Booking and Emergencies from Baris
Route, booking and emergency arrangements for patients from Baris.
Getting here from Baris
Barış lies in the Kepez district of Antalya; Kepez is one of the central districts, about 6 kilometres from the clinic. We also see patients from neighbouring areas that share the route from Baris, such as Yeşiltepe, Altıayak, Aydoğmuş, Demirel. You can ask for the location on WhatsApp when travelling from Baris.
Appointments for Baris
At this distance, splitting treatment into visits is no problem for patients from Barış, and attending reviews is easy too. As with patients from Kepez generally, appointments for families from Baris can be scheduled consecutively.
Emergencies from Baris
Setting out from Barış at night is quick; come without delay in an emergency, and calling as you leave means preparation is done in advance. For patients coming from Dental Clinic in Baris, the clinic is open 24/7 and in an emergency the order is set by severity rather than arrival time. For spreading facial swelling, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or toothache with fever, go to the nearest emergency department.
Pain During and After Root Canal Treatment
The belief that root canal treatment is painful comes not from the treatment but from the state people are in when they arrive. Patients usually come already in severe pain and associate that pain with the procedure.
What is felt during the procedure
Under adequate anaesthesia no pain is felt; a sense of pressure and vibration remains, which is normal. The only situation where anaesthesia is difficult is an acute flare-up with very active inflammation, because the acidic environment reduces the anaesthetic's effect. Additional techniques are then used: anaesthesia placed directly into the tooth, or draining the inflammation first.
Why there is tenderness afterwards
Even with the canal cleaned, the tissues at the root tip are affected by the procedure, so tenderness on biting for a few days is expected. What increases it:
- Inflammation that had been going on for a long time beforehand
- The tooth sitting high in the bite — corrected with a small adjustment
- A high number of canals and complex anatomy
- The treatment being a retreatment
When not to wait
Pain that increases and wakes you at night, swelling of the cheek, fever, or reaching the point where the tooth cannot be touched at all is not the expected picture. These indicate continuing pressure inside the canal or spreading infection and need intervention. Even mid-treatment, if these appear at night you should call.
