It’s not fun! Feels like a constant hangover, meat doesn’t taste good anymore, veggies sound gross. Only thing you can hold in is sugar and carbs. Uh-oh. Those are not good for your teeth! So what are we gonna do?!
When pregnant, you are recommended to eat small and often. 6 small snacks or meals a day. Little reminder, dentist does not recommend frequent eating habit because it exposes chance of erosion to teeth every time we eat.
What are we going to do? And TRUST me, you do NOT want to get cavities during pregnancy. While it is safe to get dental xrays and dental work done during pregnancy, let’s try to keep your life easier and less stressful.
Here are some friendly dental tips for my fellow pregnant mama’s:
- Drink and swish your mouth with water throughout the day.
- Remember, we are recommended to take 12 cups of water. Swish with water after each snack and meal to rinse off those carbs and sugar off your teeth.
- Xylitol!
- Xylitol is sugar substitute that shows anti-cavity property. People find sucking on mints or candy helps with morning sickness so get XYLITOL MINT or XYLITOL GUM instead. Make sure it is the first ingredient listed on the container. I find them super helpful and I feel good knowing Xylitol is protecting my teeth from cavity.
- Waterpik
- It is ideal for you to wait 30 minutes after eating before brushing your teeth. You want to let your saliva wash away and neutralize whatever you’ve just eaten so you don’t just smear all that around your teeth. If you can’t wait that long, rinse away your mouth with water and your waterpik to flush off plaque and food you just ate.
- Dental Hygiene visit
- Make sure to set up your dental hygiene visit as soon as you find out your pregnant. Let your provider know. Hormones change during pregnancy and make your gum to react aggressively to bacteria in the mouth. You can even get pregnancy gingivitis so let’s make sure you are in good care.
- Fluoride toothpaste
- Make sure you use fluoride containing toothpaste. It is safe to use fluoride toothpaste during pregnancy. Toothpaste is not meant to be ingested. This is “tooth vitamin” that fights against cavity. Ask your provider about a prescription toothpaste that has 4x more fluoride.
Actually, all these dental tips are great for everyone whether pregnant or not. Dad’s follow along these tips too! For more dental tips, call our office and visit our website.
