“Can I have my tooth extracted?”
“Can I have a root canal?”
“Will I get binat when I go to the dentist?
*binat is a Filipino term for getting sick again after recovering.
These are the questions that I would frequently encounter from Mom groups and on my Facebook page, so I thought it would be best to tackle it today.
Yes, You can have any Dental Work done even when you are breastfeeding.
Dental x-rays, Novocain and other drugs used for local anesthesia are considered compatible with breastfeeding. They are safe and they don’t go to you to your milk nor decrease your supply.
Even nitrous oxide (laughing gas) that is used in some dental surgeries to sedate some people is safe since it is rapidly eliminated from the body via the lungs.
So, no need to pump and dump after the dental work or wait a few hours before feeding. The only time you have to take a break in feeding is during the dental procedure.
If you are worried about antibiotics and pain medications that will be prescribed to you, you may check LACTMED or E-Lactancia for breastfeeding compatibility. The two are composed of medical organizations and doctors that carefully studied the composition of each drug and its effects to breast milk, and breastfeeding in general. You may inform your dentists about this if they are not aware.
No, you won’t get binat Either.
You can visit the dentist as soon as you can already walk out of your house and travel to your nearest dental clinic. Actually, medical and dental experts recommend having dental work done after giving birth. No need to wait for a few months or years. Honestly, you’ll get binat more if you just ignore the pain.
Note that binat has no scientific or medical basis. We are weak after giving birth and yes, we need time to recover. But if we take care of ourselves, eat healthy food, get ourselves thoroughly checked by our doctor, we’ll be back to our strong and capable self in no time. (I’ll discuss more about binat in a different post.)
So, don’t wait up and don’t just endure the pain, go to your dentist now rankhaya.com/!
References
Bonyata, K. (2016). Dental Work and Breastfeeding. KellyMom.com. Retrieved 24 April 2017, from http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/illness-surgery/dentalwork/
Curtis, B. (2017). Breastfeeding and Dental Procedures. Breastfeedingcenterofpittsburgh.com. Retrieved 24 April 2017, from http://breastfeedingcenterofpittsburgh.com/bf101/breastfeeding-and-dental-procedures/
Giuliani, M., Grossi, G., Pileri, M., Lajolo, C., & Casparrini, G. (2001). Could Local Anesthesia While Breast-Feeding Be Harmful to Infants?. Journal Of Pediatric Gastroenterology And Nutrition, 32(2), 142-144. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00005176-200102000-00009
