Dental treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding
Most dental treatment can be carried out safely during pregnancy.
In general, elective treatment is best performed in the second trimester (ie the fourth, fifth and sixth months) of pregnancy. Elective procedures requiring general anaesthesia or intravenous sedation should be deferred until after the birth and, preferably, until after breastfeeding has stopped. If the patient is unsure if she is pregnant, defer treatment decisions until pregnancy status is known.
If intraoral radiographs are necessary for assessment or diagnosis of infection or trauma, there is no reason, on radiation protection grounds, to defer them. The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) guidelines1 state that intraoral radiographs are not contraindicated during pregnancy; however, a leaded drape is recommended when the X-ray beam is directed downwards towards the patient’s trunk (eg when taking occlusal views of the maxilla).
Before prescribing a drug for a woman who is pregnant or breastfeeding, consider the general principles of drug use in pregnancy or breastfeeding, as well as the safety of the individual drug.