Can I whiten my teeth
while I am pregnant or nursing?
Question: I'm pregnant.
Should I continue my tooth whitening treatments?
Answer: The effect of the tooth
whitening gel on the
baby, if you're pregnant, is unknown. It is normal,
during the bleaching process, to swallow a little bit
of the gel. While this is safe for
adults, pregnancy is such a delicate time for
mother and baby that cosmetic dentists advise against
teeth whitening while you are
pregnant. And remember, that the most vulnerable time for the baby is in
the very early stages of pregnancy, so if you could possibly be pregnant
but aren't sure, I would still recommend against teeth whitening.
However, if you are nursing, I wouldn't discourage you from bleaching,
because the teeth bleaching gel is pretty harmless.
But be aware that there isn't universal agreement
among cosmetic dentists on the tooth whitening while nursing issue.
The tooth bleaching gel contains peroxide, which is just water with an
extra oxygen atom. It's the oxygen in the bleach that accomplishes the
teeth whitening. Since oxygen is hardly a foreign substance, many cosmetic
dentists assume that bleaching or whitening your teeth is a fairly
harmless procedure. No studies have shown any harm from this peroxide
tooth whitening. But pregnancy is such a delicate time, and there is so
much we don't know about how substances affect babies during pregnancy,
that it's wise to avoid anything unnecessary if its effect on pregnancy
isn't known.
And while whitening toothpaste
isn't very effective at changing the color of your teeth, it is safe to
use while you are nursing or pregnant.
