How to care for teeth during pregnancy

Knowing how to take care of your teeth during pregnancy helps to prevent the appearance of oral diseases, such as gingivitis and cavities, which are more frequent at this stage, due to hormonal changes, frequent vomiting and cravings for sweet foods.

In addition, problems with teeth during pregnancy increase the risk of the baby being born premature, underweight and having problems with vision or hearing. Thus, during pregnancy, the woman must maintain good oral hygiene, eat a balanced diet and consult a dentist before becoming pregnant, to avoid problems in the oral tract.

Although the most important thing is to brush your teeth at least twice a day, there are other precautions that are essential during pregnancy to avoid oral problems:

1. Rinse your mouth with water

During pregnancy it is normal for women to experience nausea and vomit frequently due to hormonal changes.

The vomit content is generally acidic, which can be aggressive to the teeth and damage them, so after vomiting, the ideal is for the pregnant woman to chew with a little water or to use a mouthwash that can be used during pregnancy. Learn how to deal with excessive vomiting in pregnancy.

2. Brush your teeth after vomiting

Brushing your teeth always after vomiting with a tasteless paste also helps to remove acid from your teeth and to prevent nausea. In addition, it also helps to eliminate the bad taste that remains in the mouth due to the presence of acid.

Here's how to properly brush your teeth to prevent cavities from developing.

3. Floss

Another very effective measure in preventing cavities and gingivitis is to use dental floss between your teeth, always after brushing them, as it allows you to more effectively eliminate the dirt that gets stuck between your teeth.

Learn how to floss correctly.

4. Eat foods with calcium and vitamin D

Foods rich in calcium and vitamin D, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, spinach, beans, salmon, sardines, herring, oysters and eggs, for example, are great for preventing dental problems because they strengthen teeth and gums.

Find out which foods are rich in calcium.

5. Avoid eating very sweet foods

Foods that have a lot of sugar, such as chocolate with low cocoa content, ice cream, candies and cookies, should be avoided as much as they facilitate the development of bacteria in the mouth.

These precautions are important to avoid unnecessary visits to the dentist, since some treatments are contraindicated during the first trimester of pregnancy and after 30 weeks, and should preferably be done in the 2nd semester of pregnancy or after delivery.

However, if the woman has any problem with her teeth, she should not fail to consult the dentist, as he may indicate an appropriate treatment to relieve the symptoms without harming the pregnancy.