Teeth Whiteners/Teeth Bleaching

Should I avoid them? Maybe. As with self-tanners, no good studies have been done on teeth whiteners that definitively say whether they're safe to use if you're expecting. And some makers of whitening products do caution against using them during pregnancy. Some dentists encourage waiting until after pregnancy to get your teeth whitened and others say that the procedures are safe. The concern is primarily about the chemicals used in teeth whitening products that could be swallowed and the potential effect on a fetus.

What are the risks, if any, to my baby? There's currently no evidence that teeth whitening can harm a fetus.

What can I do about it? Talk to your doctor before plunking down the cash on whitening products. If you'd rather wait until after your pregnancy to try to make your teeth pearly white, simply brush regularly with whitening toothpaste, which may give a little extra kick to your smile.