WWYD? tooth extraction and TTC?

i have recently had an infected gum around my wisdom tooth, they called it pericronitis. antibitoics and a good cleaning seem to have cleared it up. however the dentist has said that it is going to keep reoccurring, however there is no telling how often, or when next etc. he said it will eventually have to be removed.

well i told him that we are thinking about trying for another baby at the end of the year and asked if it is something i can leave and wait and see how it goes or should i get it out before we start ttc. he didnt really recommend anything but told me that if i get an infection whilst pregnant it is going to be hard to treat due to not being able to prescribe some antibiotics. he said that i can go in for 3 monthly cleaning to keep the area clean and see how it goes.

originally i thought i would just get it out before ttc to save me from the worry of if it gets infected whilst pregnant so i went and got my xray. it showed that the roots of my tooth are very close to the nerve that runs underneath and there is a risk of damage to the nerve. he said he would be able to get it out in the dentist chair and i wouldnt need to go to hospital or have stitches or anything, it would be a simple extraction.

i really dont know what to do! i am a little scared of the whole process and the possible complications that can arise with the nerve thing, with the recovery and healing process too. however, i am not sure if i should wait it out and risk a flare up whilst pregnant.

What would you do?

If I trusted my dentist I'd get it out now. If I didn't trust my dentist I'd find one I did trust and get it removed.

If the nerve does get damaged what will happen?

Well he said it can cause numbing in the lip tongue area that can take a varied amount of time to return to normal even a year. its not so much that i don't trust him it is that i always seem to have complications from there sorts of things. if it is going to happen to someone its likely to happen to me!! plus i am a sacredy cat! !

Numbing would be a PITA but it's not as bad as I was imagining (paralysis of the jaw with associated drooling lol).
It's worth keeping in mind that dental issues often do flare up during pregnancy (I can't remember why because I haven't been pregnant for ages). There used to be an old wives tale that you lost a tooth for every child :o

If your dentist says that it will have to go eventually I think it's better to go sooner rather than later. Cost wise, it's cheaper to get rid of it now instead of paying for cleaning and to deal with flare ups and then paying for removal. Pain wise, it's the same deal. The pain of flare ups followed by the removal or the removal straight aware and eliminate the flare ups from the picture.

If it were me I'd get it out. I had all my wisdom teeth out under local as a teenager (one at a time though) and it was no big deal. I'm sure I've read that dental infections during pregnancy increase the risk of miscarriage and preterm labour. I can't remember the source for that but I wouldn't want to risk it.

Most people have the roots close to the nerve, it's standard to warn of possible complications, get it out whilst it's NOT infected, local anesthetic dont work well if the tooth or gum is infected.

I'd get it out. I had one out on Saturday, no pain during procedure (the needles stung a bit) and neurofen has kept any following pain at bay. I just have a tender gum and a bit of an aching jaw. Heaps better than the tooth pain I had. That said, I really trust my dentist.

I'd get it out now - if it's got to come out you might as well do it now. Otherwise you might find it hard to enjoy your pregnancy. I had heaps of dental work done in pregnancy and does make it all a bit trickier. Although there are antibiotics that are safe to use in pregnancy.

But at the end of the day, do what you're most comfortable with.

Get it out. I had a wizzy tooth out at 27 weeks. In the chair. No biggie, totally safe. I still get 3 monthly cleans when I'm pregnant because of the increased blood volume and effect of relaxin on your gums. Gum disease in pregnancy has implications for the baby, like low birthweight, so I really wanted to avoid that.

i decided to get it out and made the appointment today. i am still very nervous. i was just reading some info about post extraction care and saw that it said do not sneeze or the blood cot will come out. how the heck to you stop yourself from sneezing!!!

it's unlikely that a sneeze will dislodge the clot

hey guys, just another question related to this! some of you have said to make sure the infection is gone before extraction. well what is classed as infection? i havent had any severe pain since i finished my antibiotics however every now and then i get a bit achey in that area and in the same places that it hurt before (jaw new ear, sinus type area) but it comes and goes. the ache doesnt hurt at all its just a feeling i guess sort of what it was like when it was clearing up but then it goes away again. so can i get it extracted as with this feeling going on with no or should i go back to the dentist before my extraction appointment and see what he says? by the way i was there last week for a seperate issue and i mentioned that it gets a bit achey every now and then and he didnt say anything. ideally i dont want to go back before my appontment as it is in 2 weeks but i do want the anaesthetic to work! ! ! just after your thoughts.

to be honest, 2 of my 3 adult extractions were done with infections. Twice I had no symptoms of infection - third time I did but was on AB's. My local was not affected by the infection at all. Sometimes it is hard to get rid of the infection until the tooth is out.

Sometimes the ache is from other fluid on the tooth/gum or might be the nerve complaining...not necessarily infection related.