Q&A: Infertility talk, and wisdom teeth

I am 21 years old, and I am 12 weeks pregnant. The week that I found out I was pregnant, I was due to have my four impacted wisdom teeth removed. I decided not to have the surgery, as I would have to have been under general anaesthesia. My teeth weren’t giving me problems before, but now I feel pain in my jaw every day, not so much that I need to take medication, but

I am concerned nonetheless. Is it safe to have surgery under general anaesthesia during the second or third trimester, or would it be better to wait until after the baby is born if it is possible? If

I do wait until after the baby is born, would the pain medication I need to take not affect my baby through breastfeeding?

DR KOLL ANSWERS: In general, one would like to avoid any surgery during pregnancy. However, sometimes emergency operations are unavoidable. The need for surgery must be discussed with your maxilo-facial surgeon. If conservative treatment is inappropriate or is not working, then surgery may be indicated. Modern anaesthesia is safe in pregnancy, and the best time to do the surgery is in the second trimester. Adequate and safe pain medication can be given both during the pregnancy and during breastfeeding. ●