I’ve had two miscarriages. I was discouraged and my husband suggested I do some fun things for me. I’d planned a spa week, which included teeth whitening. I had no idea I was pregnant again at the time. I just found out that teeth whitening is not recommended for pregnant women. Now I’m absolutely terrified I’ve done something which could hurt this baby. I don’t think I could take a third miscarriage right now.
Melanie
Dear Melanie,
I want to express my condolences to you on the loss of your first two babies. I know how hard miscarriages are. Before we go any further, take a deep breath. It’s very likely this bit of teeth whitening did nothing to harm your baby.
The reason the ADA doesn’t recommend it for expectant women is there is no documentation on its safety. The reason for that is there hasn’t been any testing done on the effects of teeth whitening on unborn children. As you can imagine, there aren’t many moms lining up to let companies test on their children.
None of that means it is unsafe. It only means we haven’t determined it is safe.
Now that You’re Going to be a Mom
I’m going to go on the assumption that this pregnancy progresses and everything goes smoothly. How do you know when your precious little one needs to see a dentist? Many new parents make the mistake of thinking young children don’t need to see a dentist in their early years.
Unfortunately, that means they make the mistake of waiting until there’s an actual problem. That makes their child’s first visit with a dentist an emergency visit, giving them a lifetime of fear of the dentist.
It’s better for them to see a pediatric dentist around two years old. They can sit them in the chair, introduce them to the instruments, and make it a fun visit. This way they look forward to seeing the dentist and can have a lifetime of preventative care without fear. These appointments cost less than traditional adult checkups.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.