Is it possible to treat teeth while breastfeeding?

What painkillers can you take while breastfeeding?

When breastfeeding, it is safe to take the following painkillers: Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Drotaverine (“No-shpa”), Ketorolac (“Ketorol”, “Ketanov”, “Ketalgin”). Injections of lidocaine or articaine are suitable for pain relief during dental treatment. For local anesthesia for bruises and some other injuries, you can use ointments based on diclofenac.

Terms of use

Dr. Komarovsky, for example, recommends avoiding the use of painkillers while breastfeeding or pregnant, as some drugs simply have not undergone proper clinical studies. However, if a woman cannot tolerate severe pain, there is no point in waiting for it to go away on its own or using dubious traditional methods. Here are a few rules that will help you quickly deal with the problem and avoid harming yourself and your child:

• It is important to understand: painkillers only relieve the symptom, but do not cure the disease itself. Therefore, in case of painful discomfort, it is recommended to consult a doctor, find the cause of the discomfort and eliminate it. So, if you have a toothache, visit the dentist; if you have pain in your ear, visit an ENT doctor. If the root cause is not eliminated, the pain will occur again and again, requiring another dose of medication.
• Even for a drug prescribed by a doctor, check the instructions, or rather the section “Use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.” There are no prohibitions - take it, and in the recommended dosage. But! The quantitative transfer of drugs into mother's milk has been studied only for a few drugs. Therefore, in most cases, you will see that the drug has not been studied during pregnancy and lactation, or pregnancy and lactation are contraindications for use (precisely due to the lack of studies on this group). Some mothers try to reduce the harm of drugs by reducing the dose. It is not recommended to do this; the expected effect will not happen (especially if we are talking about products that are acceptable during breastfeeding!).
• Look in the instructions for an indicator that is important for us - the drug elimination period. As a rule, it is the same for blood plasma and breast milk. This way you can calculate the period when the drug leaves your body. Analgesics penetrate into the blood and into mother's milk at the same time: this requires only half an hour, the maximum concentration occurs after 1–1.5 hours. And they appear longer – up to 2–7. The half-life of paracetamol, for example, is about 3, and acetylsalicylic acid - up to 7.

Why can a nursing mother's teeth hurt?

The main reason for the pathology of the chewing organs during lactation is that the young mother did not care about the health of the oral cavity before conceiving the child. Under the influence of increased stress on the body, various problems begin to arise. Since enamel has a porous structure, acids easily penetrate its layer, washing away useful minerals. Their replacement is disrupted due to increased load, which is why problems arise. They can be solved by remineralization of teeth, that is, restoration of enamel by replenishing mineral deficiency. Common provoking factors include:

1. Damage to periodontal tissues, their inflammation.
2. Caries accompanied by pain. True, in the early stages there is no discomfort. The sooner treatment begins, the easier the therapy will be.
3. Improper cleansing of the oral cavity, insufficient care of the chewing organs.

These are just some of the causes of the pathology. The root of the problem often lies in the following aspects:

Severe calcium deficiency

Toothache with breastfeeding appears due to a lack of such a necessary element as calcium. Full health without its abundance is impossible. And most women experience a deficiency already during the period of bearing a child. If this is not dealt with, the problem will progress, which will cause serious consequences, especially for the masticatory organs. Typically, in such situations, dentists prescribe special therapy to patients - a course of taking certain medications. The doctor will determine which drug is appropriate in a given situation. It is important to strictly follow the dentist’s recommendations so that the body is not harmed and the treatment does not harm the embryo.

Pulpitis

This is a common complication of caries, in which acute pain suddenly appears in the form of an attack. A painful reaction clearly manifests itself to spicy, salty, cold, sour, and hot foods. Discomfort increases at night. Inflammation of the neurovascular bundle is accompanied by headache, malaise, and swelling. How to recognize that the nerves are inflamed?

• Intense shooting pain appears at night;
• Prolonged pain reaction to temperature stimuli;
• Spread of unpleasant sensations to the cheekbone, ear, temple, back of the head;
• Bad breath;

Sometimes the disease is accompanied by fever. Most often this occurs with pulp necrosis.

Periodontitis

This pathology appears due to caries and pulpitis. In such a situation, a tooth hurts during toothache, severely, acutely, especially when it touches a damaged unit. This disease is serious. It affects all the tissues surrounding the root of the masticatory organ. The gums become red and swollen, and the lips and cheeks may swell. If diagnosis and therapy are not carried out in a timely manner, the sick unit can be lost. The infection quickly penetrates deep into the root canals, destroying the organ completely.

Endocrine system disorders

The thyroid gland is a very important organ. Without its proper functioning it is impossible to have good health. If the endocrine system malfunctions, the oral cavity, gums and chewing organs suffer. Since hormonal levels are disrupted during pregnancy and lactation, the produced enzymes become insufficient for the full development of the baby’s body and the good condition of the mother. Therefore, a visit to an endocrinologist in such cases is necessary. Only a specialist can determine the causes of the pathology and eliminate it.

Dental treatment

Some young mothers are afraid to go for dental treatment because they read somewhere that anesthesia can have a bad effect on the quality of breast milk. In reality, this is not so: the doctor gives a local injection, which has a short-term effect and is quickly eliminated from the body, and therefore does not cause any harm to the baby’s health? As stated in the online magazine “Doctor Zubov”. So it is possible and necessary to treat teeth with pain relief during lactation. It is better to clarify in advance which drug will be administered to you, and inform the dentist about breastfeeding. In this case, the doctor will select the optimal remedy that will not only provide excellent pain relief during dental treatment, but will also be eliminated from the body as quickly as possible.

What treatment can be done during pregnancy?

• Any emergency treatment

Toothache is not just an unpleasant symptom, but a signal that an acute process has already begun. The pain is difficult to bear, and taking painkillers is not recommended for pregnant women, at least without consulting a doctor. Moreover, if the pain weakens or disappears on its own, this is even worse - it means that the nerve of the tooth has begun to deteriorate. Serious inflammation of the gums or periosteum can begin unnoticed. Also, during pregnancy, general immunity decreases, which creates an increased risk that the infection will spread and pose a threat to the health of both mother and child.

Deep caries threatens the development of complications

For any toothache, it is definitely recommended to immediately go to the clinic and undergo treatment. There are anesthesia drugs that can be used when treating pregnant women, and there are also approved antibiotics (prescribed by a doctor). There will be no harm from them, but the risks from lack of treatment are great.

• Planned treatment of caries

If it was not possible to cure the tooth in advance or caries developed quickly after pregnancy, it is better not to wait until pain arises and emergency treatment is required, but to consult a dentist as soon as possible. The optimal time for this is after the 12th week of pregnancy. As we have already said, treatment will not harm the health of the unborn child, but its absence after a few months can lead to complications.

After the birth of a child, it is difficult to visit the clinic in the first months, so postponing treatment until later is not recommended

• Professional hygiene

For those who care about dental health, it is recommended to have professional cleaning – Air Flow or ultrasonic – once every 6-12 months. This procedure does not require anesthesia, it is harmless, but it helps maintain dental hygiene - and therefore maintains their health.

Air Flow and ultrasound – harmless and painless procedures

List of approved drugs

Now a woman can turn to the Internet for help: just enter the appropriate name of the medicine into a search engine, and several sites will tell you whether it is allowed to be taken during pregnancy or lactation. For example, there is a universal reference book e-lactation. If we talk about painkillers, which are usually used for severe headaches and toothaches, as well as during extremely painful periods, here is a complete list of tablets that you can take, as well as intramuscular, external and rectal agents:

• Preparations containing paracetamol reduce temperature and pain, and also help to subside inflammatory processes. The main part leaves the body a couple of hours after administration.
• Ibuprofen-based drugs work for toothache, discomfort in joints and muscles. Suppositories and tablets relieve fever and help cope with the symptoms of ARVI. When using medications, less than one percent of the active substance gets into the milk - this is completely safe for the baby.
• Of the antispasmodics, that is, drugs that relax smooth muscles and relieve spasms, no-spa is allowed during breastfeeding. The drug eliminates discomfort in the intestines and can be used for stomach cramps or renal colic.
• If a nursing mother needs to treat caries or remove a tooth, injections of ultracaine or lidocaine can be used to anesthetize these processes. They quickly provide an analgesic effect and are then just as quickly eliminated from the body.
• In case of particularly severe pain syndrome, it is allowed to take “Ketorol” (also known under the names “Ketanov” and “Ketalgin”). This non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug quickly provides pain relief. Used for migraines and menstrual pain. Two hours after administration it passes into breast milk, but its concentration is so low that even American and European doctors allow Ketorol to be taken by nursing mothers.
• Diclofenac. If the pain appears as a result of a bruise, sprain or other “sports” injury, doctors suggest using special anti-inflammatory pain-relieving ointments. The substance does not affect the quality and quantity of milk in any way and is quickly eliminated from the body. Diclofenac is contraindicated in people with high blood pressure or peptic ulcers.

Main groups of painkillers

To suppress toothache, the pharmaceutical industry offers a variety of medications, analgesics and NSAIDs.

Combination medications included in the NSAID subgroup are aimed at relieving inflammatory foci and pain. The active components determine what effect the tablet will have: relieve pain, reduce fever or suppress the inflammatory process.

The list of medications based on Ibuprofen is presented:

• Faspik, Deblok, Nurofen forte;
• MIG 400, Ibufen, Ibusan;
• Ibuklin, Nurofast, Next Uno express;
• Sedalgin sprint, Bonifen.

The drugs are designed to block unpleasant sensations, including acute toothaches. Tablets are used when the first molars appear in babies, or when the mucous membranes of the oral cavity are damaged or damaged.

Relief of discomfort occurs within an hour - this is a long time compared to medications with a similar spectrum of action. The drugs are prescribed to patients after dental procedures. The analgesic effect lasts for 8 hours, the medicine acts comprehensively.

Preparations made on the basis of Indomethacin are presented:

• Indocollir, Indobene, Metindol retard;
• Indotard, Methindol.

In dental practice, this series of medications is used to suppress serious inflammatory processes in the oral cavity, in the treatment of pain due to arthritis and arthrosis of the temporomandibular joint, after operations to relieve discomfort and reduce temperature. NSAIDs are applied externally, the expected effect of the gel occurs after 1-2 hours.

Pyrazolones are classified as analgesics, the main representative of the group is Analgin. Tablets for toothache begin to act half an hour after taking them, the effect lasts no more than 3 hours due to the rapid removal of active components from the body.

Treatment of the pathological condition is carried out using:

• Baralgetas, Bralangin, Geomag, Maksigan;
• Spasmoblock, Spasmalgon, Revalgin, Tempalgin;
• Plenalgina, Spazgan, Renalgan, Optalgina;
• Spasmalin, Bral, Spasmoton, Analgin-quinine.

Drugs in tablet form are freely available and do not require a doctor's prescription.

Prohibited drugs

All of these pills are almost certainly in your medicine cabinet. But they are strictly prohibited for women who are breastfeeding. This list included:

• Analgin. In most countries, this drug is generally prohibited for use (not only by nursing women), as it contains a substance that provokes the development of agranulocytosis. If it gets into breast milk, it has an extremely negative effect on the functioning of the baby’s kidneys and circulatory system. Analgin is part of Baralgin, Tempalgin, Spazmalgon, Pentalgin, Spazgan. Approved for use only in the most extreme cases, at high temperatures that are not affected by other medications. Then an intramuscular injection of analgin with diphenhydramine and papaverine is given. However, only a doctor can prescribe such radical methods!
• "Nimesil" ("Nise", "Nimid" and other drugs based on nimesulide). Has an almost instant pain relieving effect. But due to the lack of a sufficient number of clinical studies, it is prohibited for use by pregnant and lactating women, as well as children under 12 years of age.
• Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin and citramone). It negatively affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract of the baby and contributes to disruption of the kidneys and hematopoietic system.