The question: Can pregnant women have dental work done without putting the baby they're carrying at risk?
This study: Randomly assigned 823 pregnant women with periodontal disease to have deep cleaning and needed dental work (including fillings and treatment for broken teeth and abscesses) done either during the 13th through 21st weeks of their pregnancy or within three months after delivery. No difference was found in pregnancy or delivery problems -- including long labor, premature deliveries, stillbirths and birth defects -- between the two groups.
Who may be affected? Pregnant women. Doctors usually advise women to avoid dental work during the first eight weeks of pregnancy, when a fetus' major organs are forming.
Caveats: A few women had dental work done that required as many as nine visits; most had less-extensive dental work. The study did not determine whether different types of restorative material had differing effects.
Find this study: June issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.
More information: Learn more about dental health during pregnancy at www.simplestepsdental.com (search for "pregnancy") and www.americanpregnancy.org (search for "dental work").
The research described in Quick Study comes from credible, peer-reviewed journals. Nonetheless, conclusive evidence about a treatment's effectiveness is rarely found in a single study. Anyone considering changing or beginning treatment of any kind should consult with a physician.
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