Taking Care Of Your Teeth And Gums Before, During, And After Pregnancy

By Author: James Franklin
Total Articles: 199
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If you are pregnant, you would want to be as healthy as possible – for you and your growing baby’s sake. And this includes your oral health. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can make your gums more sensitive, making them prone to irritation and inflammation. Below are some tips to ensure that you have healthy teeth and gums all throughout your pregnancy.
Oral Care Before Pregnancy
As per usual, brush and floss your teeth twice daily – before breakfast and after dinner – to avoid plaque buildup. Make sure that you use a soft-bristled toothbrush and a good toothpaste that offers teeth and gum protection. It is recommended that you get as much dental treatments as you can before pregnancy. Get all your dental issues fixed if you can at this point. Once you get pregnant and start having morning sickness, you might find yourself growing tired to go through your routine. Surely, your dental appointments will surely be the least of priorities as your pregnancy progresses.
Oral Care During Pregnancy
It is important that you inform your dentist when you get pregnant. Remember that there are medications ...
... that can harm your baby in the womb – particularly in the development of their teeth – so your dentist will have to be careful with prescriptions from here one. Get your dentist to check your teeth and gums and ask how to take care of them during pregnancy. Calcium is essential in the development of your baby’s teeth and bones, so calcium-rich foods is a must during pregnancy. By 4 months, your baby’s teeth and bones will start to calcify.
Also, by this time, you should already experience morning sickness. Your stomach has acidic substances that will come into contact with your teeth when you vomit. And when it does, it can lead to teeth erosion which softens the tooth enamel and increase your risk for tooth decay. To prevent this from happening, it is important to not brush your teeth for thirty minutes after vomiting. This gives your enamel enough time to recover from the acid. In the meantime, rinse your mouth with water if you experience morning sickness to get rid of some of the acid.
Oral Care After Pregnancy
Even when you have already given birth, you need to maintain your oral health as dental issues can still arise. If you do have them after your baby is born, contact your dentist to get them fixed as soon as you can. You would not want these issues to grow big and distract you from taking care of your newborn.