Most dental treatment can be carried out with safety during pregnancy.

Elective procedures requiring general anaesthesia or intravenous sedation should be deferred until after the baby is born and, preferably, until breastfeeding has been ceased. If the patient is unsure whether she is pregnant, the decision about whether to proceed should be deferred until this is known. In general, elective treatment is best performed in the second trimester (ie the fourth, fifth and sixth months) of pregnancy.

If dental radiographs are necessary for assessment or diagnosis of infection or trauma, or for treatment of these conditions, there is no reason, on radiation protection grounds, to defer them. The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) guidelines [Note 1] state that there are no contraindications to the taking of intraoral radiographs during pregnancy; however, provision of a leaded drape is recommended when the X-ray beam is directed downwards towards the patient's trunk (eg when taking occlusal views of the maxilla).

Revised January 2007. ©Therapeutic Guidelines Limited (etg35demo, November 2011)