Oral Health Tips for Pregnant Women: Ensuring Healthy Smiles for Mom and Baby

Maintaining good oral hygiene habits is important for pregnant women. It can be tempting to put off a dental appointment and easy to slip out of your usual brushing and flossing routine.

However, maintaining a healthy smile when pregnant is not only good for your oral health, it is good for your baby’s health too.

How Pregnancy Can Affect Your Oral Health

Your body goes through changes when you are pregnant and these can impact your oral health. You may notice your gums become sore or puffy. They may even start to bleed. This is an indicator of gingivitis, the early signs of gum disease.

Gingivitis can be reversed, but if you delay treatment it can develop into periodontal disease. This is a more advanced and serious stage of gum disease which can ultimately lead to tooth loss.

Delaying dental treatment may not only impact your smile. A dental issue that is left untreated increases the risk of an infected tooth. Such an infection may spread through your body and put the health of your baby at risk.

Good Oral Hygiene Tips for Pregnant Women

Your oral care routine at home does not need to change too much when you are pregnant. The following tips will help you maintain healthy teeth and gums, which in turn helps protect the health of your baby.

• continue to brush your teeth twice daily with a soft-bristled tooth and fluoridated toothpaste
• floss daily to clean areas between the teeth where it can be hard for your toothbrush to reach
• rinse your mouth each night with a fluoridated, alcohol-free mouthwash
• change your toothbrush at least once a month or even earlier if the bristles have started to fray
• avoid sharing your toothbrush
• drink plenty of water during the day, particularly after eating.
• drink fluoridated tap water or fluoridated bottled water.

Continue With Your Regular Dentist Trips

Regular dental appointments remain important during pregnancy. Your dentist can spot issues like gum disease earlier when they are easier to treat. A dental issue that is left to its own devices can lead to infection, and if this spreads it can put your baby’s health at risk.

Therefore, if you have an outstanding dental concern, or have not visited your dentist within the past six months, you should book an appointment as soon as you can. Let the dental clinic know you are pregnant so they can provide the most suitable care for you.

Standard dental treatments and procedures such as x-rays, as well as pain medication and local anesthesia, are all deemed safe for pregnant women. If you have any concerns, speak to your dentist for assurance.

Eat a Healthier Diet

Healthy eating is good for your dental health and therefore goes hand in hand with the tips for good oral care above in maintaining a healthy smile when pregnant. You should aim to include a variety of healthy foods in your diet as this helps keep you motivated rather than eating the same items over. Such foods include:

• vegetables
• fruit
• dairy products, including milk, cottage cheese and unsweetened yogurt
• fish
• chicken
• wholegrain items such as cereal
• eggs
• beans
• nuts

The foods to avoid are those that are high in sugar such as candy, cakes, cookies and dried fruit.

Your consumption of certain drinks high in sugar like juice and soda should also be reduced. Drinking water can be a good substitute when tempted to drink such products.

If you like to snack, a similar approach can help you snack healthier too. Instead of chocolate bars and cookies, look to snack on fruit, cheese and unsweetened yogurt as these are low in sugar content.

It is not always easy to determine what foods are healthy and therefore it is a good idea to read the labeling on food items for guidance.

While considering diet, you should also look to consume 600 micrograms of folic acid each day as this can help reduce the risk of birth defects. Folic acid can be consumed through supplements or foods containing folic acid or packed with folates. These include:

• asparagus
• peas and lentils
• broccoli
• oranges, bananas and strawberries
• spinach and lettuce
• grain products like bread, cereal, pasta and white rice that are fortified with folic acid

After you have eaten, it can be good practice to chew gum or mints that contain xylitol, as this can help protect you from bacteria that could otherwise harm your teeth and gums.

Develop Good Habits

Poor oral health can affect the health of both mom and baby during pregnancy. Lifestyle choices are important in maintaining a healthy smile. Therefore, you should quit smoking and using recreational drugs as well as avoiding alcohol. Second-hand smoke is also an issue and an environment to avoid.

If you find yourself vomiting during pregnancy, the acid left in the mouth can harm your teeth. Rinsing your mouth out with a teaspoon of baking powder after vomiting can reduce this risk

Once Your Baby Is Born

Stick to your good oral care routine and healthy eating habits after your baby is born. This includes twice-daily brushing, daily flossing and regular dental appointments. Healthy foods for your baby will also benefit their oral health. Ideally, this will include exclusive breastfeeding until they are at least four months old.

From the age of six months, you can ask your pediatric health provider to check your baby’s teeth. They can refer you to a child dentist if they suspect any dental issues. Otherwise, you should take your baby to a dentist before they turn one year old.

Final Thoughts

Practicing good oral health care is good for both the health of mom and baby. Delaying treatment for a dental health issue increases the risk of an infection that could harm your baby. Your dentist can help advise you on looking after your teeth and gums through pregnancy.