Is it safe to undergo dental procedures while breastfeeding?

Doctor's Answers 1

The good news is most dental procedures can be done safely while breastfeeding.

Most dental materials do not absorb into the bloodstream in significant amounts. You may wish to avoid getting new amalgam fillings placed or having old amalgam fillings removed during this time since this releases mercury vapour. However, since the studies looking at the issue of mercury in breast milk did not measure how much mercury was actually absorbed by the infants, we don't know if there is any significance to mercury levels in breast milk.

Other injectable drugs (local anaesthetics such as lidocaine) are not harmful to the baby even if excreted in breast milk. You may prefer to avoid the local anaesthetic agent, articaine, since there is less safety data on it compared to lidocaine.

Oral sedatives (midazolam) can be safely used for single session dentistry. Inhalational sedation (with nitrous oxide) is extremely safe because it does not accumulate within the body and is excreted during exhalation. Certain types of intravenous sedatives (propofol) are safe.

Oral antibiotics (amoxicillin) are generally considered safe but it may be better to avoid tetracyclines (these are excreted in breast milk and MAY cause staining of the permanent teeth which begin developing at birth) and metronidazole.

Elective procedures (teeth whitening, braces and cosmetic dentistry) are considered safe but there is no research on how breastfeeding and your altered hormonal profile will affect the efficacy of the treatment.

Do keep up with your regular professional maintenance even while breastfeeding as this will keep your salivary bacterial counts low and reduce transmission of harmful oral bacteria to your child. This is the best thing you can do to ensure your child will be free from cavities and gum disease in the future.

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Dr Eng Cern Gan

ENT Doctor

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