Pregnancy has to be one of the most magical things that could ever happen to a woman. It’s where you grow a tiny human inside you before enjoying the beauty of the outside world. While pregnancy is an amazing journey, you’ll need to provide extra precautions for your body as you share everything with your child. Apart from your physical health, you shouldn’t neglect your oral and dental health.
Since you’re sharing your nutrients with your unborn child, you may incur a nutrient deficiency. That is why you’re more prone to developing oral and dental issues during pregnancy due to a weaker body. To help you maintain a healthy mouth, below are some ways to care for it during pregnancy:
Continue Visiting Your Dentist
Not everyone is comfortable visiting their dentist while pregnant as they fear dental procedures might harm the baby. Unless you’re undergoing invasive dental surgery, a regular dental checkup should be fine and harmless for you and your child. In most cases, you’ll get at least one dental checkup appointment during pregnancy. During this period, your dentist will assess your oral health and provide possible treatments and guidelines for improving it.
When visiting your dentist, you need to inform them about your pregnancy so they can provide extra precautions with what they can and cannot do in case you need to undergo treatment. To make you feel at peace, visiting a reputable dentist, like Altima North York Dental Centre or other similar clinics, should help you feel confident about your and your baby’s safety.
Brush Regularly
Maintaining good oral hygiene is extremely important during pregnancy. Due to hormonal changes, you might develop a weaker tooth, which could lead to cavities. To prevent that from happening, you should brush your teeth regularly, at least twice a day.
However, brushing your teeth might be a nightmare, especially if you’re still experiencing morning sickness. To help make oral hygiene more comfortable, you might want to wait until your morning sickness passes or switch to a children’s toothbrush for a smaller invasion. Alternatively, you can change your toothpaste with a lighter flavor, as extreme mint can be nauseating for some.
Floss Daily
Tartar develops more when there are bacteria build up in between your teeth. Unfortunately, regular brushing cannot reach the gaps between your teeth. To remove any food particles, bacteria, or plaque, you should floss your teeth at least once a day.
Flossing can also help reduce the risk of developing cavities and improve the gums’ health. Remember to practice safety and be gentle while flossing. Otherwise, your gums will bleed.
Check For Gingivitis
Pregnant women are more prone to developing pregnancy gingivitis due to hormonal changes. It can make your gums more prone to attracting plaque, which leads to bleeding and inflammation. Unfortunately, this is difficult to avoid, even when you’re in perfect health, as it’s your body’s natural reaction to pregnancy. But, with the utmost care, you should be able to help minimize the risk of gingivitis.
Knowing the early signs of gingivitis will help you address the issue and resolve it immediately. Common early symptoms include:
- Redness and swelling of gums
- Bleeding gums
- Sensitive gums that affect regular movements
- Loose teeth
- Bad breath
If you notice that your gums are developing or showing any of those signs, you should immediately check with your dentist and inform them about the symptoms you’re experiencing. However, if you notice that you’re only experiencing a small amount of pink blood while brushing your teeth and experiencing no other symptoms, it’s completely normal. This is what happens when your blood volume increases.
Follow A Healthy Diet
Of course, following a healthy diet is essential for your and your baby’s health while you’re pregnant. Eating the right food can help to provide maximum nutrition to your mouth. Avoiding sweet and acidic foods can protect your teeth from toxic ingredients that can harm your teeth’ enamel. By following a healthy diet, you’re not exposing your teeth to any of those.
It is best to eat as many healthy and crunchy foods as possible. That’ll help to scrape away any plaque buildup and keep your oral health at bay. Eating plenty of apples and carrots should help to get you through the day.
Drink Milk Regularly
During pregnancy, your body will get as much calcium as possible to keep your baby healthy and strong, which can make your bones weaker. Your body might not have enough calcium to keep you going while also affecting your oral health. Maintaining your body’s normal calcium level is essential to keep your body strong.
Apart from your prenatal vitamins, you can take calcium supplements to fulfill your calcium needs. Alternatively, drinking milk regularly should help keep your bones and teeth strong while flushing your teeth with the nutrients it needs. This would be a great tip, especially for first-time moms, as not everyone’s aware of this need.
Rinse Mouth With Water After Vomiting
It’s normal to vomit during the early stages of pregnancy. It’s your body’s natural reaction to adjusting as it welcomes a new life into your womb. However, vomiting can affect your oral health, especially since it contains acidic elements from your stomach. As soon as you finish vomiting, it’s highly encouraged to rinse your mouth to remove any remaining acid.
Don’t Brush Immediately After Vomiting
After rinsing your mouth with water after vomiting, it might be tempting to brush your teeth to ensure that your mouth is thoroughly clean. However, doing this might not be the safest option for your mouth. Wait for at least 30 minutes before brushing your teeth to ensure that your teeth have fully recovered from the acid exposure.
Takeaway
Taking care of your oral and dental health during pregnancy is important. This will help keep your smile looking fantastic. Moreover, it can help prevent invasive dental procedures, which might need to wait until giving birth. With the proper practice and precautions, you can keep your oral health in optimal condition, allowing you to focus on your pregnancy rather than any tooth or gum ache.