I’m really worried I made a bad call by going to see a holistic dentist. I’m 24 weeks pregnant and had a major infection that made half of my face swell up and leave me in total agony. I knew I had to have some kind of treatment done, but I was also really worried about having major dental work while pregnant. I decided to look up a holistic dentist, thinking they would be better for me right now. The doctor did an exam and then told me that the tooth needed to be pulled. I didn’t think anything of it at the time- after all, he was the doctor and he said my tooth needed to be pulled and I knew it was bad. So, I didn’t question it and let him pull the tooth. I was talking to one of my friends today and she said she had a tooth infection when she was pregnant, but the doctor was able to save the tooth with a root canal. Now I’m wondering if I made a mistake; that maybe the doctor only pulled the tooth because he didn’t believe in root canals or something. Could my tooth have been saved? — Alyssa
Alyssa,
Holistic dentists are not necessarily anti-root canal. There are some fringe areas of dentistry that worry you’ll never truly get rid of the bacteria because some may hide in the microscopic holes that are naturally part of the tooth. Because if this, those people are shying away from root canals and opting for extractions. However, even that needs to be put into perspective. Your whole body has bacteria, both “good” and “bad.” A healthy body has no trouble fighting off the bad bacteria. So, even if those microscopic holes did manage to hold some bacteria, it wouldn’t likely pose any risk to you at all. That’s why so few legitimate doctors have worries about doing root canals. They get you out of pain, keep you healthy, and let you keep your natural tooth. It’s a win all around.
It’s safe to have root canals during pregnancy, provided you have clearance from your OBGYN, so there’s really no reason why he wouldn’t have recommended a root canal if it was a viable solution. More than likely, you had to have the extraction because your diagnosis was more severe than your friend’s. For example, the tooth could have had a large cavity and may not have been repairable at all, whereas maybe your friend had no cavity or her tooth just died.
If you’re really worried about it, the only person who can tell you why an extraction versus a crown was done is the holistic dentist you saw, but there aren’t any red flags in your story to signify anything was unusual about the treatment.
This blog post is brought to you by Des Moines cosmetic dentist, Dr. Phelan Thomas. For more information on the services he provides, please visit his Des Moines cosmetic dentist website.