Special Oral Health Care During Pregnancy

According to the American Dental Association, as many as half of all women develop pregnancy gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease that is most common between the second and eighth months of pregnancy. It usually goes away after childbirth. Hormones make your gums more easily irritated by plaque and can cause gums to be red, tender, sore and bleed. Brush twice a day for two minutes, clean between your teeth once a day.

If you experience morning sickness, here is how to help protect your teeth. When you throw-up, stomach acids enter your mouth and can eat away at your teeth, so waiting to brush after you’ve rinsed your mouth can help prevent those acids from doing damage. Instead of brushing, first swish and spit. You can use water, a diluted mouth rinse or a mixture of 1 cup of water and 1 tsp. of baking soda. Spit it out and brush your teeth about 30 minutes later.

Please contact Dr. Thor with any concerns or about other steps you can take to keep your gums healthy.