Is Your Pregnancy Affecting Your Teeth?

Your body endures a lot of changes during pregnancy. Your feet may swell, you may be sore in strange or new places, and your teeth may decay. It’s true, your teeth are not one of the more popular concerns during pregnancy but at our dental offices in Highland Park and Chicago Heights, we’re here to tell you they should be.

Why is it so important to keep an eye on your teeth during pregnancy? One reason is morning sickness. Morning sickness causes stomach acids to enter the mouth and if left there, the acid may erode enamel and lead to decay.

What to do if Morning Sickness is Plaguing You

We wish we had a solution to end morning sickness for every pregnancy. But we do have some ways you can decrease the chance of it affecting your smile.

• Rinse with water. Swish some water around in your mouth following a bout of morning sickness to remove some of the acid from your teeth.
• Wait an hour. Wait at least an hour before brushing after you’re sick. Rinse with water in the meantime. Acid may weaken enamel. Brushing can scratch the enamel and lead to decay.
• Keep drinking water. The more water you drink, the lower the acidity level in your mouth will be.
• Smear on toothpaste. Putting a dollop of toothpaste on your finger and rubbing it on your teeth can further protect them against acid.
• Use a tongue scraper. After vomiting, if you take a tongue scraper across your tongue, you can successfully remove some of the acid that may stick around on the tongue and then transfer to the teeth.

If you’re pregnant, we’d love to see you at our dental office in Highland Park or Chicago Heights. Not only is it important to get a check up during pregnancy to ensure there are no scary problems lurking in your mouth, we will help minimize your risk of decay. Let’s keep your teeth healthy throughout your pregnancy and for years to come.

Accepting patients from Highland Park, Deerfield, Highwood, Chicago Heights, Crete, and Park Forest.