During pregnancy a woman’s body experiences a whole host of extreme changes, ranging from the beautiful to the downright stressful. But there’s no reason to panic about your health! As with any special physical circumstances, the most important thing is to make sure that you’re well-informed and following professional advice as best you can so that you can maintain your good health. Read on to find out the unique effects that being pregnant has on your oral health, and go forth calmer and better prepared!

Forward-Thinking

Sometimes accidents are unavoidable, but if you are actually planning to get pregnant, make sure you get your teeth seen by your dentist first! Not only will they be able to give you individually suited advice for your pregnancy, but they will also be able to record your oral health before your body changes to better monitor differences that occur later on during your pregnancy!

I’m Already Late!

If you’re already pregnant, you should still consult your dentist!  Keeping your oral health professionals up to date of major changes in your body, new medications, and the effects of prenatal care are essential to a healthy pregnancy. Speak to your obstetrician in advance of visiting your dentist in case there are any factors specific to you to take into consideration. And don’t skip any scheduled appointments! Pregnancy puts you at a higher risk of gingivitis, oral sensitivity, and plaque, so now more than ever it’s important to keep up with your regular appointments.

Risk Factors

Some oral health concerns are more likely to occur during pregnancy, and although many of these are temporary, some may also need some care and attention. Take note if you notice that your gums are sore or bleeding, or if your teeth feel loose, and make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible to make sure you’re not ignoring anything major.

Morning Sickness

Different smells and tastes can affect your experience of morning sickness. If you are struggling with this, consider switching your toothpaste to a bland or flavourless brand, as strong mint flavours and sensations can sometimes provoke nausea, which no one wants! Remember to rinse your mouth thoroughly with water after vomiting to clear your mouth of stomach acids, which can weaken the enamel on the surface of your teeth.

Keep Good Practice

As much as ever, keeping up a consistent oral hygiene routine is essential for maintaining your oral health during pregnancy. Make sure you brush and floss twice daily, with a good quality toothbrush that gets into the harder to reach spaces behind and between your teeth to reduce the risk of plaque forming and aggravated oral discomfort.

While this time of year might make you think that the most important things in life are love heart balloons, chocolates, and teddy bears, the message beneath the glitter of St. Valentine’s is all about Love - and there’s no reason that this love shouldn’t extend to self-appreciation! A sparkling white smile is not only attractive to others, but can also make you feel good about yourself - making it the perfect thing to focus on this February! So with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to follow our top tips to achieving that perfectly sparkling smile!

Whiten Those Pearlies

If you’ve been considering a tooth whitening treatment, now might be the perfect time to take the plunge! Remember, though, that there are restrictions to what you can eat and drink, especially in the few days after a treatment, so if you’re planning on showing off your whitened teeth on Valentine’s it might be a good idea to get your appointment in a week or so prior! 

Seize the Opportunity

We often advise people to visit their dentist twice yearly - but if there’s no specific date defined it can be easy to push aside for other things, and forget. Why not use Valentine’s as your date marker for the first of your yearly visits? It’s a great way to ensure that your mouth is as clean and healthy as possible, and whether or not you have a big date to get to, you’ll feel better in your own body! Just remember to have another appointment six months or so later!

(Always) Stay Hydrated

Keeping well hydrated helps your saliva production, which in turn helps your mouth to stay clean and staves off bad breath, not to mention its overall benefits for your whole body - so it’s really an all-round winner! Be sure to have a glass of water alongside your meal to help clear your mouth from acidic food and drink and to keep you fresh throughout the evening! If you’re drinking alcohol, too, sipping on water has the added bonus of staving off a nasty hangover!

Maintain Regular Habits

The easiest and most important way to achieve and maintain a sparkling smile is keeping up with your regular dental hygiene routine. Making sure to brush and floss twice daily maintains your oral health by keeping your mouth clean and warding off problems such as plaque, bad breath, and gum disease - so it’s definitely worth doing regularly!

Keep it Up on the Go

Sometimes when making New Years’ resolutions we can overreach and scupper our efforts by deciding on tasks that are too big or broad. Avoid this kind of failure by adjusting habits you already have, so that rather than having to remember and enact a whole new routine, you can gently remind yourself to maintain an adapted one! Read on to find out our top tips for bettering your routine, and discover how small alterations can make for the biggest and most positive changes!

Floss!

If you add one thing to your dental hygiene routine this year, it should be flossing. You might notice that this always comes up on oral health advice  - and for good reason! Flossing regularly reduces gingivitis and tooth decay significantly when compared to brushing alone, and that alone should be enough encouragement! Many people find it frustrating due to it being time consuming, so we recommend taking the time this year to make your dental hygiene routine something fun that you’re not impatiently just trying to get through. Try popping on a podcast or your favorite song to distract your thoughts while you’re brushing and flossing, and you’ll find that you’ll be done much sooner than you think!

Brush Your Tongue

It’s easy to forget, but brushing your tongue actually makes a huge difference to your oral hygiene! Bacteria on your tongue causes bad breath and also mutes your taste buds, so brushing your tongue not only cleans your mouth and helps to fight off plaque, but actually makes things taste better, too!

Be Gentle

In a rush to get our brushing routine over and done with, we can sometimes be a bit overzealous with brushing, which then leads to new problems such as enamel erosion! Take care to exert gentle pressure at a 45 degree angle to protect the surface of your teeth and gums from abrasive bristles!

Eat and Drink Right

Maintaining a balanced diet helps your whole body as well as your teeth, so it’s always a good habit to get into! Inject your meals with nutrient and mineral rich foods such as eggs and leafy greens, and steer clear of carbonated beverages for better overall health and stronger, healthier teeth!

Maintain Consistency

Consistency is the most important aspect of a good oral hygiene routine - you can get your brushing and flossing routine to the perfect place, but unless you remember to do it twice a day for two minutes each session, your progress could be negated!

Upgrade Your Tools

Encourage yourself to maintain good habits by rewarding yourself with the best available tools! Use a toothpaste that contains fluoride, and if possible switch from a manual brush to electric or sonic for a deeper clean. We highly recommend trying out our Sonisk Pulse portable sonic toothbrush, which is not only a cost-effective option for trying out sonic power, but can also be kept on hand for brushing on the go!