Root Canal in Third Trimester??

[lorialys]

I just found out today that I have to have a root canal (possibly on two teeth, definitely on one). They don't want to wait until after I deliver. I am 33 weeks today.

Anyone have this experience while they were pregnant? Did the anesthesia or the antibiotics effect your baby at all? Were you able to get enough novacaine to not have any pain during the proceudre?

Thanks in advance!

[adoredh]

Don't worry about the root canal, in fact, I think LML had one too. I know that I was supposed to have a cap and two fillings done in my 2nd trimester. Dentist said, and my OB said that the novacaine is perfectly fine to use. And I need a ton because I've started to get imune to it.
Alas, I did not go to the dentist like I should have, I think needing the cap is a bunch of hooie (since it was a filling I had done a year ago, and I don't feel anything) and the fillings are so small, they can wait.
Call your OB if you're worried, but I think you'll be just fine! :D

[lml41981]

Gossip gossip, adoredh. ;)

Yeah, I had one...I was at the very end of the 2nd trimester when it was started and the beginning of the 3rd when it was finished (I had it done over a few appointments). My OB didn't allow anything inhaled, so no gas. That sucked because I need the gas for a cleaning...I get so nervous at the dentist. She did allow any local anesthetic that the dentist needed to use.

The anesthesia didn't affect the baby as far as I know. I didn't feel any difference in movement or anything. The only thing was, and I think I put this in the Oct Moms thread, that the anesthesia didn't "take" very well. It took a long time for the novocaine/lidocaine/xylocaine to kick in (she had to do the injection in the roof of my mouth, which was definitely unfun). Also, the numbing seemed to wear off quickly. For one part of the root canal, where they dug out the nerve and put the temp cap on, I felt the very end. She offered to numb me again, but I had already been there for 3 hours and was ready to go home...I didn't want to wait 30 minutes for the numbing to kick in. It really wasn't unbearable at that point, though. I definitely wouldn't have wanted to do the entire thing without anesthesia!

(Part one was when she intended to just replace a silver filling...she drilled, saw nerve, put in a temporary filling and scheduled me for a root canal. Part two was when she began the actual canal...she dug out the nerve, irrigated (which hurt) and put the temp cap on. Part 3 was building up the tooth and fitting the crown. I don't think it usually takes so many visits, though.)

[lorialys]

Thanks girls. I'm not too freaked out about it. I just have to remember to ask lots of questions to the edodontist when I go for my consultation on Monday!