I’m worried I made a mistake going to a Holistic Dentist. I was pregnant and developed a pretty serious tooth infection. In fact, my face swelled up pretty badly. I knew I’d have to see a dentist regardless of the pregnancy because I was in agony. I thought a holistic dentist would be a safer option because of the baby. When I got there she told me the tooth needed to be extracted. I agreed because I knew it was bad. But, when I got home my husband told me that she took my tooth unnecessarily because holistic dentists don’t believe in root canal treatments. Is that true? Could I have saved my tooth?
Adrian B.
Dear Adrian,
While there is a small fringe of dentists who have issues with root canal treatments that is not the majority by far. The ones who do, are concerned that root canal treatments can leave some microscopic bits of bacteria. But, the amount of bacteria left is minimal. Plus, your body contains both good and bad bacteria to help your immune system develop. A healthy body does fine.
There’s no way to tell what your particular holistic dentist’s philosophy is without just asking her outright. Your case doesn’t ring any warning bells in my head that she did an unnecessary procedure. You did say your face had swollen up. It’s very likely the tooth was beyond saving and did need an extraction.
What to do After You’ve Lost a Tooth
So now that the tooth is extracted, what should you do? The ideal tooth replacement is to get dental implants. However, this procedure requires surgery. That’s not a good option for you while you’re still pregnant.
In your place, I’d look at getting a removable partial denture or dental flipper until you’re at a place where you can get a more permanent replacement.
It is good that you went to the dentist even though you were pregnant. If you left that tooth infected it would have a much more negative impact on your child than a tooth extraction. In fact, the infection could even pass to the baby and become life-threatening to both of you. You did the sensible thing.
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