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We need our dentist bee... But I remember I think that 2nd tri is safest for dental work...

I found this handy little article that basically states what I just said. http://depts.washington.edu/nacrohd/sites/default/files/oral_health_pregnancy_0.pdf

@toile234: guess I must have had lidocaine then? Idk it was whatever was on the list my OB faxed them. I would see if OP's OB has a list of sorts!

I had two fillings fall out while pregnant with my second. They filled them no big deal after getting the okay from my OB. I had lidocaine, but if my dentist gave me the option I would have went without anything (my old dentist used to give you the option). They were more concerned about me being able to sit in the chair comfortably long enough for the procedure.

I have to get a filling in my second tri, and I'm nervous about it. Reading this helped. What about laughing gas @toile234: ? I'm a very anxious dental patient anyways with bad jaw issues, I can't get any work done without gas. Can I?

@mediagirl: well, no filling for me! thanks.

@lulabee: @mediagirl: my state requires we get recertified in nitrous every two years, and last month when I was taking the online course, the instructor said that there was no evidence that nitrous oxide causes any issues in pregnant women. So in the second trimester for emergent needs it's ok. Does every dentist know this? No. I learned the exact opposite in school, and wouldn't have had any idea it was ok if I had not taken this course and not every state has to. I don't use nitrous in my practice, so it really doesn't hange how I do anything. If the decay is small, I'd just recommend impeccable oral hygiene, fluoride rinse, fluoride toothpaste on your floss, and wait until post partum so that you are more comfortable.
Eta: since I don't use nitrous, I never looked into this any more than just listening to the lecture. Nitrous is still a category c, and they essentially haven't been able to link any issues to nitrous in humans, but they have in rats. My stance is unchanged. If it's not an emergency, just wait until you have the baby and then you can have gas and feel better about the whole situation.

I didn't have any done because I'm now in my third trimester, but my dentist said if I were in the second trimester, she'd do most dental work. She said the majority is safe, but now that I'm in my third, she just doesn't want to put my on my back or make me uncomfortable for too long, and I'm just to go in after the baby is born. It sounds like the earlier you do it, the better.

@paigeface: there's actually no recognized specialty in aesthetic dentistry. Dentists will often bill themselves as cosmetic dentists because they like those procedures, but they did not receive additional schooling for that unless they are prosthodontists which is an actual speciality.

I would actually bring up the epinephrine issue with your ob. Lidocaine, which contains a small amount of epinephrine is a category b drug in pregnancy, and mepivicaine (no epi) is a category c, based on a decrease in fetal heart rate when used. I'm sure you are fine, but in my experience, obs are not the be all and end all for these kinds of things. I've been consistently disappointed in many physicians knowledge of patient management for dental procedures, especially antibiotic prophylaxis. And whenever I try to call a physician to discuss treatment of a shared patient, I often get the run around. I don't expect them to have all of the answers--I don't know very much about kidney diseases, why should they know much about teeth? But I do expect that when I give them clear data on why their current practices for a field that I'm knowledgable in is incorrect, that they read it, and it's not always the case. Ok, rant over!