Tooth abscess while pregnant

[melancholyblue]

I was wondering has anyone else ever had one while pregnant?
I’ve just noticed a huge lump on my gum above the tooth that’s been giving me problems since I became pregnant!
I don’t have a dentist because I missed an app with them last year and then refused to take me on again and took me off their patients list so I’ve been without one for ages. I had a root canal done on this tooth 2 years ago but the last year it’s started to decay with me, I brush my teeth twice a day and all that but just no luck with this tooth. I went to an emergency dentist about 3 months ago and he wouldn’t do anything to it because I’m pregnant and just left it alone with the decay in it. I didn’t think anything of it then because it stopped hurting until today when the gym has gone all swollen and red and it’s really sore! Stupid me then googled and apparently bacteria from the decay is no good for baby at all and I’ve had it for most of my pregnancy so I’m really worried now plus I’m top of that I have an abscess which is an infection and they say infections are really harmful to the baby too, so I’ve phoned 111 and waiting for a call back off one of the dental nurses but I’m more worried about the decay that’s been there months and now an infection! Besides myself with the overthinking now.

I forgot to mention too I literally just got off antibiotics for an UTI so worried about taking another dose of antibiotics more or less straight after another. I’m so worried about infections only because of the stories I’ve heard of infections and what I’ve read up about them and here I am with 2 in one week.

I had two nasty tooth infections 2hile pregnant and both time I had antibiotics then the tooth pulled but in my 2nd trimester he wouldn't do it in my 3rd due to the adrenaline in the numbing stuff

Thank you for replying, just really worried about everything at the moment and these infections too, i was in my first trimester when he wouldn’t do anything but I’m in my second now as that was 10 weeks ago, but I’m just stressing over all these infections, besides myself here!

Think its only dangerous if the infection gets into your blood stream. I'm no doctor though. Ask your midwife she'll be able to tell you more

I think dentists don’t like to do anything in pregnancy that isn’t necessary. An abscess is definitely very necessary. Tbh I’d get treatment ASAP xx

A dental abscess needs to be dealt with asap!!

I had an abscess from a wisdom tooth extraction and ended up in hospital with sepsis.

The infection is already there so treating it is the only course of action x

Thanks everyone. Yeah I have seemed medical assistant straight away by calling 111 and have said I’m waiting for the dental nurse to call me back but she hasn’t yet, and it happened last night but started hurting today so I rang as soon as it did. I’m just stressing about infection and all these antibiotics I need to take now and things and worried I’m hurting my baby but I am doing everything right by getting treatment straight away for things I don’t wait around at all. X

Sought after**

Just had a phone call from 111 to say now that they’re so busy that I won’t have a call until the early hours of the morning so basically there’s nothing I can do until tomorrow anyways! 😩 just struggling with the worry more than anything at the moment rather than the pain of the abscess.

I’m a dentist and would treat at any stage of pregnancy with precautions if needed- an abscess needs treatment. I would only delay non-urgent treatment, e.g. whitening / replacing a worn or stained filling. Hope you can get help from 111 - most dentists absolutely rammed at the mo and working flat out so access can be an issue

Not an abcess but I'm currently taking antibiotics for a tooth infection. I checked with midwife and they said I'm fine to have any dental treatment. Definitely get it checked out. A sore tooth is horrendous.

Just been to the dentist, she wanted to do an X-ray and I said no way X-rays are not advised while pregnant and I know loads of dentists won’t X-ray while pregnant so I refused that, she’s numbed it all up, took out as much as the decay as possible, put an antibiotic filling in it and put a temp filling on top. She said that what’s she done won’t clear it I need a root canal but won’t do one for me because I won’t have an X-ray. But I’m a bit worried because @georgarina said yours went septic? So worried about that now if what she’s done won’t clear it up, just seems to be one thing after another at the moment; I’m hoping it’ll go down after this and the antibiotics now I’m really really hoping.

You can have x-rays while pregnant - the beam only travels in a straight like no where near bump - the guidance is it is safe. I had dental x-rays when pregnant and would agree with everything your dentist has said. Honestly try to relax about the dangers of the treatment. An untreated infection is more more of a risk!