As an Oral Health Therapist and having had two children myself, I thought it would be a nice opportunity to share both my experiences during pregnancy along with my dental knowledge.
I remember back during both my pregnancies and I was so hungry ALL OF THE TIME. I felt that eating small meals helped me from suffering from morning sickness, which was really ‘all day’ sickness! At the same time, the OHT in me was saying that frequent eating also has its risks to be very mindful of.
Issues with snacking during pregnancy
In the mouth, we have bacteria that ‘eat’ the sugars and carbohydrates that we feed them. In simple terms, these bacteria then produce acid/plaque, which if not removed in a timely fashion, causes holes in teeth.
If we are eating more frequently, there are increased acid hits and an increased chance of decay.
My big tips
As a result of the increased decay risk during pregnancy two things are really important:
You need to be vigilant with how you are looking after your teeth. My tips include:
- Brushing two to three times a day for two minutes using a soft-bristled normal toothbrush or an electric toothbrush. I use a fluoridated toothpaste but respect that some people prefer not to.
- Floss once a day. I floss and then brush at night, but if you’re getting to the end of the day and you’re completely exhausted, perhaps make the time to do this of a morning. Flossing is very much habit and routine and is so important as it removes the plaque trapped in between the teeth that the toothbrush cannot reach. My tip is to keep your floss with your brush so it acts as a trigger.
- I don’t use or generally recommend a mouth rinse but if you like the clean, fresh feeling, opt for an alcohol-free variety.
Be aware of the foods you’re eating
I’ve never been one to closely look at ingredients but limiting sugar is incredibly important. Nearly 99% of all drinks, apart from water, contain sugar, so I really recommend avoiding them. The other thing to be mindful of is food that gets trapped in the teeth easily and is hard to dislodge unless you brush your teeth. Biscuits, chips and crackers are in this boat so ensure you rinse with water afterwards.
Good foods to have handy:
- I bought a big block of Colby cheese and had it cut up into sticks in a container in the fridge. Be mindful that soft cheeses are recommended to avoid during pregnancy but hard cheeses are fine.
- Carrot sticks were another go-to of mine.
- Fruit. Yes, it has natural sugars in it but it’s not retentive in the teeth and I would simply have water afterwards.
You’re obviously going to have food aversions as well as cravings over the course of your pregnancy and it’s really important to take each day as it comes. Ensure you keep well hydrated throughout the day and drink as much water as possible.
If you have any questions about anything I’ve spoken about please feel free to ask! I’m here to help!
Life is about to become busier so now is a good time to have your teeth checked before bub makes their entrance. Feel free to give one of our friendly receptionists a call on (07) 5481 1255. If you prefer e-mail, that’s fine as well – info@jacarandafamilydental.com.au