Pregnant but need an amalgam filling removed

[Bunsouttheoven]

For the last 3 years my dentist has been telling me that I have broken amalgam filling that needs to be replaced, however, I have always been pregnant or breastfeeding.

I was expecting to stop breastfeeding in the next 6 months & get it sorted but have now discovered I am pregnant again.

Having looked at the internet it seems a big no no to have it removed while nursing or pregnant but my dentist wants to do it anyway. She seems rather gung ho & dismisses the risk entirely.

Any dentists out there got any thoughts on this or anyone else have any experience of this? My dentist said it will need to be a root canal job if I leave it any longer. Should I run the risk of loosing the tooth if I leave it for a few more years or get it done?

I'm not a dentist.

But this happened to me when pregnant, and my dentist told me that a degrading amalgam left in situ will be leaking and therefore should come out. The extraction was done with a dam in place to prevent/minimise contamination during the process.

Has your dentist offered any information on the actual composition of the amalgam and whether it is leaking?

We recently had an apparently high level of mercury inthe practice (In reality an absolutely miniscule amount but high enough to cause some concern). The guy came round with his fandangled machine and could detect no mercury anywhere, then we got him to detect his thingy right next to the tooth when we removed an amalgam and there was not a blip on the monitor. Better to prevent decay/toothache/leaking amalgam etc as meditrina said and get it out.

BTW amalgam these days all has pretty much the same composition silver, tin, copper & mercury plus some other stuff. We can only absorb mercury in a specific form and it's not this one.

Thanks meditrina, no my old dentist told me to wait until not pregnant/nursing & my new dentist just rolled her eyes & said it's fine just let me drill it out!

So are you a dentist then grumpy? Or will the dentist in your practice routinely remove amalgams in pregnant women? Do I need to ask for ask for a dental dam/alternative air source?

Yes I am. Just tell your dentist your concerns, they will be able to help. We all do things differently so I couldn't predict.

Ok grumpy. Thank you so much I will talk with my dentist again.

I'm bumping this up again even though it's an old thread as I am in the same position as the original poster. Yes wondered whether there are any Mums or dentists with patients who have experience of women removing a degrading amalgam filling in pregnancy and having a healthy baby? I am 5pm weeks pregnant terrified of harming my baby.

Thanks!

Sorry that should read 5 weeks pregnant!

Dentist here
IMO do the benefits of having the work done outweigh the risks? The risks are very small and theoretical. Just had a healthy baby myself depite having worked with mercury fillings for the past 10 years.
If the work is routine you could leave it until after the baby is born. If the work is more urgent and the tooth is likely to cause you pain/ infection if left then better to have the filling. Antibiotics from dental abscess in pregnancy have risks too (although also very safe - I took 3 lots of antibiotics in my pg).
HTH

Thanks blacktreaclecat. At the moment, the filling seems very dark, tooth seems ever si slightlyif I

Sorry , hand slipped when posting that. On mobile! Thanks so much for your speedy response.The filing is v dark, part of the tooth is ever so slightly blackened and when I run dental floss through it comes out stained dark. What do you think?

I guess the other thing I am worried about is that it has been leaking mercury - as it stained the floss -and I have already caused the baby harm.