This is a parntered post.
One of my worst memories from being pregnant with my little boy is sitting in the Dentist’s chair; having a tooth extraction. So it’ll come as no surprise to readers that looking after your teeth in pregnancy is actually something I am pretty keen on encouraging in others…
We are often very focused on making sure that baby is getting enough when we are pregnant, and that means we can focus a lot on our diet, and the nutrients that we need to grow a strong, healthy little one. Sometimes, that means that we can forget about us. And how important it is to make sure that WE are looking after ourselves.
Our teeth are all too easy to ignore when we are pregnant – just because we have so much else to be thinking about!
Why is it important to look after your teeth in pregnancy?
Obviously, having healthy teeth is actually important ALL the time, but did you know:
- Pregnancy hormones can affect how your body deals with plaque,
- Pregnancy has been shown to lead to tooth problems in some women – as many as 70% according to a recent study (see below).
Though obviously it does not automatically lead to poor dental health for women.
There are clearly reasons for paying attention to those teeth while you are pregnant, so what can you do to help?
What can you do to keep your teeth healthy in pregnancy?
Obviously – brush them! However, it isn’t as simple as that, so here are a few thoughts for you so you can keep your teeth and gums healthy while pregnant:
1. Eat a balanced diet
Clearly, it is always important to eat a balanced diet, but never more so when you are trying to provide suitable nutrients for your growing little one.
It is important to try and make sure that you are getting enough from all the major food groups; so fruits, vegetables, and starchy foods as well.
As always, it is tempting to eat sugary foods, but remember that these in particular have an impact on the health on your gums.
2. Floss daily
And I don’t mean this obviously…!
via GIPHY
We mean this…
via GIPHY
We know. Flossing is annoying and totally boring, but it IS important to get those annoying bits of food out of your teeth.
And bet you didn’t know that dentists advise that you do it BEFORE brushing your teeth? Bet you all thought that you knew how you were meant to do this brushing your teeth, flossing , malarky, didn’t you?
Yeah. I know. You’ve been doing it wrong all this time. 😱
Mind Blown.
3. Add mouthwash to your daily routine
Using a mouthwash is a great way of adding a little something extra for keeping your teeth stay healthy when you are pregnant, and there are plenty of options on the market.
Do make sure that the one you choose is safe to use when pregnant though, such as a brand like Gengigel. This brand really is simple to use, and helpful for adding an additional layer of defence again plaque.
Take the advice from the NHS though, and make sure that you use it as part of your daily routine, but at a different time to brushing, so that you keep the fluoride from brushing ON your teeth rather than immediately washing it off.
So that’s TWO things you thought you were doing right in your teeth routine, and might need a little review 😉
Am I right?
4. Keep a closer eye on your gum health
We’ve talked a lot about your teeth, but it is certainly worth paying a little more attention to your gums too.
If you do spot problems with your gums, we all like to ignore it don’t we, but perhaps it’s worth thinking again. Why not try and get a treatment for them over the counter?
No-one likes a bleeding gum now do they. Messy.
5. Use the free dental care and visit your dentist regularly. Consider a professional clean too
If you are in the UK, the NHS offer free dental care while you are pregnant – take advantage of it. Pop down and get yourself checked out, so that if there is a problem, it gets spotted sooner rather than later.
You could even have a bit of a treat and get a professional clean too.
Yes – it might mean you have to have a little bit of work done on your teeth in pregnancy but:
(a) At least it will be cheap and,
(b) At least you won’t be leaving it so long that its too late and you will need MORE work doing.
That’s got to the worth a little discomfort, don’t you think?
That’s five GREAT ideas so that you won’t be one of the sets of statistics – or end up like me in the dentist’s chair while you are pregnant, feeling a little fed up. ☹️
Hopefully that’ll help – we do have a few resources relevant to pregnancy alongside this so why not check them out too?
Pregnancy resources
We've got a few things to help you through those nine months....
20 pregnancy facts that will surprise you (and maybe even the baby!)
Some facts about pregnancy which might come as a little bit of a shock..
Banish your pregnancy pains for good
How to help with pregnancy pains
Baby Tips
General ideas to help with baby - which can't be a bad thing!
We hope this is a useful article and has helped you – do sign up for more… If you need a little more help around dental health in pregnancy, do check out this article from Sunshine and Rain too. She has some additional ideas for you as well.
Cheers for coming!
Helen
Helen
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine!Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time.KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10.It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania.Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on.Get in touch TODAY!
Nicole
Thursday 30th of January 2020
This is really interesting! I had no idea how high the amount of pregnant women's teeth can be affected during pregnancy. This is all great information to know and pass along. Thanks for sharing!
Bree
Thursday 30th of January 2020
Wow I had no idea teeth and pregnancy were so related. I’m done with my pregnancy’s but I’ll pass this along.
Kathy Kenny Ngo
Thursday 30th of January 2020
In my country, the dentist won't touch you when you're pregnant. YOu just have to really pray and take care of it so that you won't suffer from toothache.
Kevin Akidi
Thursday 30th of January 2020
Pregnancy or not, I hate going to the dentist and tooth extractions. It is definitely important to look after our teeth better during pregnancies because of the hormonal changes.
Fatima Torres
Thursday 30th of January 2020
Oh wow. I didn't know this was the case. I had experienced issues with my teeth, mainly sensitivity, when our firstborn was born