Oral care during pregnancy

It's a wonderful, beautiful and joyous momemnt to be pregnant. Congratulations. And while having to take note of various issues about being pregnant, the dos and the don'ts, we are sorry that we got to put forth another - pregnancy oral care. However, it's for your own and baby's well being. Hence, it definitely requires a small effort to learn about it.

As we all already know, pregnancy can make a woman feeling very sick or nothing at all. This is due to the hormonal changes occur in our body that alters its normal behavior. This is the reason why it’s important pregnant women to take good care of our teeth and gums. The hormonal changes increase the risk of developing gum disease because it makes gums more sensitive, making gingivitis easier to develop, and this can affect the health of the baby. Pregnancy gingivitis, identified by and uncomfortable swelling, bleeding, redness or softness in the gum tissue.

Fret not actually. We have some tips to prevent that.

And it is best that good practice starts way before pregnancy. However if you are pregnant, just start paying some attention to your oral health.

Before Pregnancy
Visit your dentist regularly at least every 6 months to have teeth professionally cleaned and gum tissue carefully examined. If there is any oral condition, it is better to get it treated in advance of your pregnancy.

During Pregnancy
1. Avoid sweet food as much as possible. The more sweets you eat, the greater chance you have of developing tooth decay. Moreover, the food you eat influences your child's food preferences. Hence, no matter how great your sweet craving is, try to control it. And it good to control especially pregnant ladies need to be wary of gestational diabetes.

2. Avoid dental treatments at specific times during pregnancy. For precaution, during the first trimester and second half of the third trimester dental treatments should be avoided as much as possible. You need to let your dentist know you are pregnant during your routine dental care and checkups. Avoid dental X-rays during pregnancy.

3. Always eat a healthy, balanced diet. This is very important because your baby's first teeth begin to develop around after the third month of your pregnancy.

4. If morning sickness is keeping you from brushing your teeth, change to a bland-tasting toothpaste during pregnancy. Rinse your mouth out with water or a mouth rinse if you suffer from morning sickness and have bouts of frequent vomiting.

5. Pay special attention to any changes in your gums during pregnancy. Visit your dentist right away if there's any discomfort.

6. Maintain a good oral hygiene to prevent or reduce oral health related problems.

If you need more tips on oral health and hygiene, join Steripod Singapore Facebook page.