Childbirth with terrible toothache - welcome distraction possibly?

[MangoHedgehog]

Am 39+5 and my mouth is killing me :(. Dentist told me a few months to try and bear the pain until after I have the baby and can get the work done. However it has got steadily worse and after several sleepless nights all I can dream about now is getting the f**ing thing yanked out. Am trying to get hold of the emergency dentist this morning to see what can be done.

ATM I'd rather not attempt labour while chronically sleep deprived and in constant mouth pain. But there's no guarantee the emergency dentist will do anything about it at this stage, even if i manage to get an appointment.

What do you think, would it be the end of the world if I went into labour with this terrible toothache? Was thinking it might give me something else to concentrate on, and then when things get really bad I probably would forget all about it anyway....

anyone attempted childbirth with toothache? how did it go?

Hi mangohedgehog. I have never done labour with a toothache. What your dentist said seems a little odd. I think you are doing the right thing getting it sorted out. As you will be busy doing other things in the not to distant future. Good luck with the emergency dentist.

I got an abcess on my tooth three days before I went into labour with DS1. Dentist gave me antibiotics but only pain relief was paracetamol - bloody useless. Antibiotics had kicked in by labour day but it was still painful. I don't remember noticing the pain during labour but I do remember calling a nurse at some point afterwards and telling her the morphine pump (I ended up with an EMCS) mustn't have been working because i could still feel my tooth

You can insist on treatment. Some Dentists don't like to administer drugs to pg patients, however it is ultimately your decision. I am 40+1 & I would hate to have a relatively minor complaint (as in easily treatable) ruining the end of my pregnancy. Be firm, accept their advice but tell them you NEED treatment. GoodLuck. Let us know how you get on.

Thank you all, have got an appointment at 12.30, phew! i will say yes to anything they suggest as long as it takes the pain away - will keep you posted

Not toothache, but serious sinusitis (sp?) which the GP refused to treat due to being 38+6 weeks and going for a section in three days. Had some morphine (for section) which helped.

Hope they sort you out at your appointment.

Quick update: the dentist said he couldn't drill my tooth as it would pass lots of mercury into my body, and couldn't x-ray me either. He was very apologetic about it! Anyway he prescribed amoxycillin, which seems to be kicking in already . Hopefully this will do as a sticking plaster over the next few days. otherwise I will have to beg for extra diamorphine at the hospital

thanks all x

I had antibiotics, anesthetic an a fillong whilst pg. A temp filling. Why cant you be treated?

Well, he said he would have to drill into an existing filling, which would release mercury into my system. He said, 'there are two patients to consider here,' and said he wouldn't be comfortable exposing unborn DC in that way.

As a temporary measure clove oil applied directly to the tooth works wonders for pain relief. I'm not sure if its ok to use during pregnancy but its definitely worth looking into! Good luck with the birth

That's a bit rubbish tbh, how on earth could a low dose x-ray to your head do anything to your baby, if drilling mercury filling is risky too, they shouldn't be putting them into people still.

Hope the ab's sort it, toothache and a newborn wouldn't be a boat load of fun.