I’d been planning a smile makeover as a surprise for our fifth anniversary. I was doing teeth whitening and then six porcelain veneers. I finished the whitening process and had my first veneer appointment when I found out I was pregnant. I did some checking and they say not to do teeth whitening when you’re pregnant. Have I hurt my baby?
Amanda C. – Boston, MA
Amanda,
I don’t want you to panic, but that’s probably a futile request. Worrying is what mom’s do. You worry, because you love that child more than your own life…or teeth, as in this case.
The reason the FDA does not recommend teeth whitening while pregnant is because there have not been any definitve cases proving it is safe. That’s not because they’ve been shown to be unsafe, but because what mother is going to line up to say, “Hey, let’s see if this will hurt my baby?”
So, relax, things are probably just fine. Talk to your OB/GYN about the remainder of the work you want to do and see if they feel it is OK to continue.
This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.