Tag Archive for: pregnancy

Mercury Removal During Pregnancy or Breastfeeding

Installing or removing amalgam (a.k.a. “silver” or metal) cavity fillings is never, ever recommended while pregnant or breastfeeding. In my book, amalgam should never be installed in the first place, but should certainly be removed as soon as possible. When a developing infant is depending on its mother for nourishment, however, mercury removal is a bad idea.

When amalgam is installed or removed, a spike of mercury is ingested through the mouth, nose, or skin, released into the bloodstream and soft tissues of the body, and then stored in fatty tissue — fatty tissue not only meaning stored body fat, but mostly in the brain and various glands and organs that rely on fat/cholesterol to function properly. This is why you hear primarily about severe nervous or endocrine conditions caused by mercury poisoning, though other symptoms of mercury toxicity run the gamut from random minor complaints to chronic illness. Symptoms may seem completely unrelated, making it difficult to diagnose. But it is definitely there if you’ve been exposed to it, whether or not you “feel” poisoned by it.

With that knowledge, you can imagine how vulnerable a growing baby would be to the mother’s mercury exposure. Conventional dentistry and its literature may tell you otherwise. They say there is little to no significant risk or imminent danger. Many patients testify to having mouths just full of metal or having it installed/removed during pregnancy but deliver and raise kids who are perfectly normal. Let me put it flatly: they do not know what they are talking about. Again, mercury poisoning’s symptoms will not always be obvious. If that stuff is in your body, it will affect you or your offspring. It could be random headaches. It could be infertility or other hormonal discomforts. It could be sluggishness, foggy thinking, or the inability to lose weight. It could be autism or ADHD or another neurological disorder. These problems certainly aren’t getting better in our country, and the number of children developing these problems is steadily increasing, not decreasing! Is it possible this “harmless” amalgam has anything to do with it?

All this to say, causing further disruption to amalgam dental work would be very dangerous for both mom and baby. It is key to have all mercury safely removed from your teeth before conceiving. Don’t wait until pregnancy — planned or not — to care for your health in this important (but too often overlooked) way. Either take care of it now before conceiving, or wait until after weaning when you can have it removed and safely detox without worrying about passing on the poison to your child.

The only ways we’re going to keep having healthy babies and pregnancies is by thinking ahead, thinking critically, staying informed, and applying what we learn.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

,

Dental Care While Pregnant or Breastfeeding, Pt. 3

So I’ve talked your ears off about the importance of dentally preparing before pregnancy happens, especially if your body needs to detox from mercury vapor. But, like the majority of people, you probably have not done so. Mothers and mothers-to-be, something urgent comes up and you must go to the dentist for one reason or another. What are things you should be aware of?

First off, do not mess with amalgam (metal) fillings in your teeth until you are done breastfeeding. Each case has its own individual implications, so if for some reason yours need working on, you’ll have to talk to me directly about the safest way to do so.

Secondly, most dentists use an array of chemicals in their offices for various purposes (sterilization, anesthesia, antibiotics, sedation, painkilling, etc.). I use them myself; I just prefer not to when I don’t have to. Again, these substances are generally accepted as having no ill effect on a pregnancy after short-term use. I will say, however, that NSAIDs should be strictly avoided.

For a mother, I personally am not comfortable with any exposure, period, and will avoid it as far as I can; but it’s up to you to do your research, ask questions, and be involved in the decisions made for your and your child(ren)’s health. Part of why I am so excited about using ozone in my dentistry is because it is multi-functional and completely safe, even for members of society with more vulnerable physical health. It is no-risk with fabulous results. Using it with a laser takes care of many things that dentists keep various chemicals on hand for.

Lastly, specifically for those breastfeeding, I offer practical advice. If your in this situation where you must see a dentist for a problem while nursing, there are precautions you should take. Drugs you take are passed to your milk  in concentrations of 1-3% of your dose. It may not sound like much, but it doesn’t take much to start polluting the development of infants. The drugs are usually cleared from your system in 24 hours. To avoid passing any toxins to your baby, pump extra milk at least a day before your appointment (it is a sound decision to have extra breastmilk stored anyway for situations like this). On the day of appointment after the drugs, anesthetics, etc., are administered, pump and throw away the milk you produce for the next 24 hours.

After that it is safe to continue nursing your child normally. If you notice any adverse effects in you or your child, call the doctor immediately.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Dental Care While Pregnant or Breastfeeding, Pt. 2

Most moms and moms-to-be know that dental care is recommended throughout pregnancy, since hormonal changes can cause more of a susceptibility to discomfort and infection. Dental problems also may bring to light a more serious underlying problem that these mothers should be aware of. Though it is my personal opinion that most dental evaluation and care should be taken care of before conception (a long time before conception if mercury removal is involved), I believe that light, routine dental care, such as cleanings or mild gingivitis treatment can be safe and effective during pregnancy.

Since my practice uses ozone in place of many harsher chemicals and typical dental medications, much can be done without fretting about affecting babies in utero or through mom’s milk. Healing is accelerated and accomplished more naturally when ozone is used. An already concerned mother should never be forced to compromise between “following the doctor’s orders” by getting dental care but exposing her developing children to drugs and toxins. Cleaning is harmless if there are no mercury fillings to agitate.

Many of the common drugs, painkillers, antibiotics, anesthetics, etc. used in the dentist’s office have been declared “safe,” or at least not significantly detrimental for a pregnant or nursing mother. A good dentist is cognizant of the most recent information regarding safe substances for his pregnant or nursing patients. For many patients, the reassurance that those substances are safe enough is all they need. However, others want to remain as clean and toxin-free as possible. I lean toward this side myself. Even if no adverse effects are found on growing babies, inside or outside the womb, there is no guarantee that there are other long-term consequences for dental drug exposure. Every drug is a foreign substance to the body; every drug is designed to manipulate certain functions in order to successfully carry out a medical purpose. In many cases they are lifesavers and great aids in the process of healing and managing pain.

But there is always, always a consequence, seen or unseen, for this medical/dental intervention or manipulation. It is only logical to conclude that delicately growing babies will be affected to some degree. We may not see it right away. It may remain undetected as the baby grows into childhood, then adulthood, and accumulates other health problems that would never be connected with Mom’s treatments while pregnant or nursing. The important thing is to educate yourself as best you can and make the best decisions for your family’s health.

I’ll get to the practical side of things in the next post.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Dental Care While Pregnant or Breastfeeding, Pt. 1

In a world slightly more health-conscious than the current one, women of childbearing age would spend their young years pursuing good physical health in preparation for future pregnancy. Thankfully, there is a growing movement among younger generations towards taking a more natural approach to health, diet, and medicine. However, bad health, bad habits, and bad food choices are still much more prevalent than good, which is already setting the foundation for our children, our children’s children, and so forth. It could be a long time, if ever, before the majority of society is thriving on good health and vitality.

It seems that taking one or two health classes as a middle or high school requirement is nowhere near enough to get young people thinking about their potential futures as parents. But preparation before conception (i.e. the early, “irresponsible” years) is what makes for healthy pregnancies, healthy babies, and healthy future generations. Many pregnancies turn out fine once the mother is aware and is following guidelines set by her doctor. However, many do not turn out fine — an increasing number, sadly. And even those who do might suffer later from certain deficiencies or susceptibility to many diseases.

Now back to what’s relevant to this blog. Because most moms-to-be are already in a state of malnourishment in one form or another (awful symptoms are only indications of mom’s nutritional deficiencies which could have been around since her own conception), this is reflected in her oral health as well. Remember, your teeth and gums are part of your entire body. They are not isolated from the effects of poor nutrition, and no amount of cleaning and surgery can undo or prevent those effects.

Back to the perfect world:  Ideally, from conception we would have been fed the best of nutrients from our mothers in utero; been raised through infancy on nutrient-dense breastmilk containing the best qualities of mom’s mindful, nourishing diet; and then raised through childhood and adolescence on real food, regular physical activity, and plenty of sunshine. This is what sets the stage for strong fertility and hormone function in the future.

But this is not the case for most of us. We have sickness and disease and infections, and they must be treated. The mouth is no exception. Hormonal disruption caused by pregnancy, as many people know, can also cause increased oral sensitivity and inflammation. At least one dental visit during pregnancy is recommended, but more may be required if a woman is having an especially difficult time handling painful and/or bleeding gums, cavities, canker sores, or maybe something more severe.

Usually these problems can be cleared up with a dentist’s help after a good cleaning and examination, and also if the woman takes good care of herself regularly at home. But things get a little more complicated in the medical/dental world when a lady is pregnant or breastfeeding. She should not be exposed to most chemicals and drugs that are used nowadays for treatment, for she has another fragile life to sustain who can be greatly affected for the worse by these things.

Since I don’t want to talk your ears (eyes?) off, I’ll go into more details about these drugs and chemicals and what is or isn’t safe for pregnant/breastfeeding moms in part two.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com