Top Oral Health Tips for Pregnant People
Did you know that pregnancy can affect your oral health? From an increased risk of gum disease to a reduction in tooth calcium, there are a few small health changes that you need to be aware of. Fortunately, there are top oral health tips you can use to maintain your smile while pregnant.
Try Sugarless Gum
Sugarless gum containing xylitol can work wonders for your oral health while pregnant. Xylitol is an alternative to sugar that bacteria will consume when you chew it. Although they think they're getting food, they're actually starving themselves. As a result, you'll have fewer bacteria in your mouth.
Reducing the bacteria in your mouth means you're less likely to experience gum disease and you decrease your risk of needing a filling. Try chewing Xylitol gum three times a day, as well as engaging in your usual oral healthcare routine.
Switch to Low Fat Milk
If you're craving more milk than usual, it's probably because your body needs a calcium boost. But although full-fat milk is tempting, it isn't good for your teeth. This is because it contains lactose, which is a form of sugar that oral bacteria use to thrive.
Low-fat milk contains sufficient calcium to help you strengthen your teeth and bones, without introducing the sugars that help bacteria breed. If low calcium is something that concerns you, discuss taking a supplement with your dentist or pregnancy care team.
Rinse Your Mouth Regularly
Despite its deceptive name, morning sickness is something that can occur at any time of the day. Each time you're sick, your mouth experiences a surge of acidity. To avoid this becoming a problem, you need to rinse your mouth regularly.
Although rinsing your mouth with water will have some effect, it may not neutralise the acid as quickly as you would like. Consider trying bicarbonate of soda mixed into water. As bicarbonate of soda is an alkaline substance, it can neutralise the post-sickness acids that may strip the enamel from your teeth.
Avoid Tooth Whitening
Although it's natural to want a dazzling smile at any stage of your life, whitening your teeth during pregnancy isn't safe. The research into teeth whitening during pregnancy is limited, and so you can't be sure how it affects your baby. Instead of whitening your teeth, make an active effort to steer away from foods and drinks that may stain them. For example, ditch curries with heavy dyes and consider forgoing coffee altogether.
If you have questions, contact local dental services.