Is it safe to have a filling when pregnant?

[fabnforty]

Can anyone help reassure me? I am twelve weeks pregnant and this week I had to have a filling. I checked if it was ok with dentist and he said in this country it is safe to use mercury/amalgam fillings in pregnancy. I asked if any alternative and he said I would have to have old filling removed (apparently risking more exposure to mercury) before replacing it with another alternative, so to just have standard one. I rang midwife who said ask dentist!I pressume there is no blanket rule to advise pregnant mums not to have fillings whilst pregnant as surely she would have said and I would have heard about it already. Am waffling now!Anyway I had the filling but now find myself worrying and wanted to have some reassurance.Can anyone oblige?

[Funnylittleturkishdelight]

The dentist will know- I would trust him. If you're really not sure, ask for it to be done afterwards?

[fabnforty]

Sorry probably confused you, I HAVE had it done as Idecided to trust him!No point worrying about what is done but wanted to ask advice. Didn't want tooth trouble for next 6 months!

[Thumbwitch]

Having old amalgam fillings removed is more of an issue than having a new one put in, tbh, because drilling out the old ones creates the potential for more mercury release.

I had an emergency filling done while pg and the dentist was going to put in an amalgam temporary filling until I said "but won't you need to drill that out to do the real one?" and she said "oh yes, whoops" and put in a temporary composite instead.

[ithaka]

I think opinions have chopped and changed on this. When I had my first (15 years ago) I had shed loads of dentistry, taking advantage of it being free to have old fillings replaced.

With the next one (12 years ago) I was told they didn't advise extra dentistry and they would just do basic temporary stuff..

So, I think there is no need to worry, dentists have got more cautious over the years, but I had lots of dentistry back in the day and my now teenager is fit and well.

[FlaminNoraImPregnantPanda]

I broke half my tooth off a few weeks ago. Got it repaired and filled no problem. The dentist had to remove part of the old amalgam filling. He refilled it with a non-amalgam one (standard here in Sweden as amalgam no longer used). The only diference was that I had to have it done without my usual scaredy cat sedative.