Study findings have suggested that pregnant women undergoing dental treatment under local anaesthesia need not fear harm to their unborn child. (Photograph: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock)

Aug 13, 2015 | News Europe

JERUSALEM, Israel: In addition to regular brushing and flossing, visits to the dentist at least twice a year are generally recommended, especially for pregnant women. However, dental treatment involving anaesthetics is often an area of concern for both women and health care providers. Now, a study has provided additional evidence that dental local anaesthetics and dental treatment during pregnancy are not associated with an increased risk of major medical problems.

In order to assess the complication rate of exposure to local anaesthetics as part of dental care during pregnancy, the authors performed a prospective, comparative observational study at the Israeli Teratology Information Services between 1999 and 2005. The study included 210 pregnant women who received dental local anaesthetics during endodontic treatment (43 per cent), tooth extraction (31 per cent) and tooth restoration (21 per cent), and a control group of 794 pregnant women. 

They found that exposure to dental care and local anaesthetics during pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of medical problems, including cerebral palsy, cleft lip and heart defects, in newborns. In addition, the rate of miscarriages, premature delivery or birth-weight did not significantly differ between the two study groups. 

Lead author Dr Aharon Hagai concluded, “Dentists and physicians should encourage pregnant women to maintain their oral health by continuing to receive routine dental care and seeking treatment when problems arise.”

During pregnancy, hormonal changes may affect the oral microbiome, which can lead to an increased risk of dental caries and gingivitis in pregnant women. In addition, women may encounter difficulties brushing their teeth owing to morning sickness, gag reflex and increased gingival bleeding. Stomach acid from frequent vomiting can also negatively affect tooth enamel. 

The study, titled “Pregnancy outcome after in utero exposure to local anesthetics as part of dental treatment: A prospective comparative cohort study”, was published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.