Be A Toothache Free Mum To Be

It is a blessing to be expecting a child. Being a mum to be has to change her lifestyle and be cautious to avoid any problem that may affect the pregnancy. Unfortunately toothache seems to be a common problem among pregnant woman. Here are some tips to help you prevent and curb the problem.

Why does mum to be has toothache?

Poor dental health

It is important that you do a routine dental check up prior to your pregnancy. It is not too late to do one if you have gotten pregnant currently. Existing dental decays and gum problems always get worse because during your first trimester you tend to vomit while brushing your teeth. Because of that, some pregnant ladies tend to brush less or do not brush at all.

Body’s Hormonal Changes

When you are pregnant, your body tends to produce high levels of estrogen and progesterone. These hormones cause water retention thus gums are puffy. These symptoms cause pregnancy gingivitis. Lack of brushing causes dental plaque build up and irritates the gums even more. Swollen tender gums would make teeth sensitive to temperature changes. That is why sometimes drinking cold or hot beverages would exert pain.

Impacted Wisdom Tooth

It is unfortunate if your impacted wisdom tooth gets infected during your pregnancy. It is advisable to get it surgically removed after the first trimester to avoid taking prolonged pain killers and antibiotics.

How to treat toothache if I am pregnant?

Go to the dentist

Most importantly you must see a dentist as soon as possible. There are certain medications and procedures to avoid in order to protect your baby. Usually for infections dentist would prescribe penicillin. It is also important to avoid dental x ray as radiation would affect the growth the baby.

Home Remedies

For urgent cases you can use some home remedies like salt water gargling, paracetamol tablets (panadol), hot and cold compressions. Hot compression is to ease pus filled swelling and cold compression could numb the pain.

How to prevent toothache when I am pregnant?

Good oral hygiene maintenance

You have to remember to brush effectively and floss at least twice a day. Rinsing after food and drinks is important to reduce plaque build up. Mouth rinse is advisable to avoid gum problems.

Calcium and Vitamins Intake

Sufficient calcium intake (1200mg) a day would strengthen your teeth as mothers lose calcium to baby. Vitamins are also important to ensure your good health and baby’s growth. Your dental problem heals faster if you are healthy.

Routine dental check up

Having reviews with dentist is important to treat small problems early. Usually scaling is done to remove plaque and tartar. There are some treatments to prevent tooth decay such as flouride treatment which you can enquire.

Conclusion

Prevention is always better than cure. Please be reminded not to add toothache to your pregnancy stress. Studies have shown that severe gum problems in pregnancy (pregnancy periodontitis) could cause preterm labor and low birth weight. Keep yourself healthy for your baby’s sake.