I have an appointment to get porcelain veneers next week and just found out I’m pregnant. Do I have to cancel the appointment or can I go forward with it?

Lisa

Dear Lisa,

First, let me congratulate you! Becoming a mother is a wonderful thing.

In dental school, we are taught to schedule routine dental care during the second trimester of a pregnancy. This is for a couple of reasons. During the third trimester, it is hard for the mother to sit comfortably for any significant amount of time. You’ll want to have any work done before this period of time.

On the other end of the spectrum are the precautions recommended during the first trimester. We are trying not to introduce any chemicals into the body that are a risk to the baby. These first few months are the most sensitive.

The only chemical introduced during the porcelain veneer procedure is a local anesthetic, usually Lidocaine. This is considered safe during pregnancy. From that aspect, you are likely safe to go forward.

That being said, you may want to postpone to the second trimester out of an abundance of caution, to ensure you are past what is considered the danger period.

There isn’t really a right or wrong answer for this. There is nothing being introduced that is a problem from a medical standpoint, but pregnancies are unpredictable as is the human body, so there are not definitives.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.