About Mark Bornfeld DDS Expertise I can respond to all questions dealing with the practice of dentistry, from both the dentist`s and patient`s perspective. I am knowledgeable about all dental disciplines, from cosmetic dentistry to surgery, from restorative dentistry to root canal treatment. I have strong opinions about controversial issues in dental practice, including those topics which directly impact on the reputation of the profession in the eyes of both the lay public and our health profession colleagues.
Experience
Past/Present Clients Editor, Queens County Academy of General Dentistry newsletter; contributor to Dentistry.com 29 years practicing general dentistry partnered with brother Steve as one-half of the DentalTwins®
Question could you please tell me the harmful or deleterious effects if there are any of sodium hypochlorite in pregnant women...or is it safe to us hypochlorite and hyrogen peroxide as irrigants while performing root canal therapy
Answer Dear dr Talha,
Sodium hypochlorite is a very caustic material, and will cause severe injury on any patient if it is allowed to contact soft tissues. Whether a patient is pregnant or not is irrelevant to this risk.
The recent trend has been to use undiluted (rather than diluted) liquid chlorine bleach for this purpose. Although the rationale for doing so is that concentrated sodium hypochlorite is more effective at dissolving organic debris in the canal, it is also more effective at damaging soft tissue outside the canal. Extreme care must be used when irrigating the canal to assure that none of the irrigant is forced beyond the root apex. This is all to easy to do, as I recently found out in my own office despite using a specialized irrigation syringe with low pressure.
The issue of providing dental service to pregnant women is an entirely different issue, separate and apart from the use of sodium hypochlorite. In the U.S., most dentists are reluctant to assume liability for any danger that dental treatment may pose to a pregnancy. For this reason, most non-essential and non-urgent dental treatment is avoided during pregnancy, and is delayed until after parturition.
Hope this helps...
Mark Bornfeld DDS
www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
