There is a lot of talk around how to care for yourself while pregnant, but dental health is often overlooked. One doesn’t have to go far to read all about diet and exercise and how they affect the health of mother and baby, but teeth and gums? Are these things really that important when there are so many other areas requiring attention? The short answer, according to our friends at Shades Creek Dental: Yes.
As a father of two (one being brand new — cue the “Awwww!”), Dr. Ron MacBeth, Shades Creek Dental’s founding dentist, understands quite well how overwhelming pregnancy can be. When I interviewed him, he identified three areas where expectant mothers can benefit from a bit more information.
Pregnancy Gingivitis
This is totally a thing. Maybe you’ve heard rumors that gums can bleed more during pregnancy. Maybe you’ve even experienced it! Well, pregnancy gingivitis is the culprit, and it makes a bit of extra TLC for the teeth and gums vital. Dr. MacBeth explained that gums do in fact bleed more during pregnancy, and it’s important to be meticulous about brushing, flossing, and getting your 6-month exams and cleanings. It’s even common to add extra cleanings during pregnancy, and Dr. MacBeth’s office is happy to accommodate Birmingham’s Moms Blog readers when they mention this article. (The official offer: Get a complimentary prenatal cleaning from Shades Creek Dental when you establish service and mention this article.)
Nausea and Vomiting
If you are one of the unfortunates who dealt with daily vomiting for weeks, months, or your entire pregnancy, let us officially say we are really sorry. Morning sickness, nausea, and vomiting are common in pregnancy, but an understanding of how they affect teeth is not. Let’s be blunt: vomit is acidic, and tooth enamel doesn’t react well to acid. Frequent vomiting can wreak havoc on a woman’s teeth, so Dr. MacBeth offered some tips to minimize the damage.
- Don’t brush your teeth right after vomiting. You’ll scrub off significant enamel over time.
- Rinse your mouth with water, and wait 30 minutes before brushing.
- See Dr. MacBeth about prescription toothpaste with extra fluoride to re-mineralize the teeth.
Diet During Pregnancy
This isn’t what you think — promise! Dr. MacBeth knows not to offer too much diet advice (remember when we said he’s a dad himself?), but he does want to share how to take care of your teeth while indulging. There are going to be cravings. There is no sense acting as though this won’t happen or that it’s not perfectly normal. Dr. MacBeth said that when it comes to your teeth, it’s not so much an issue of how much of something you have but how often. Rather than sipping sugary soft drinks all day, consolidate by getting your fix with a meal. This is gross, but Dr. MacBeth explained that it’s better to drink a 2-liter of Coke all at once than to sip throughout the day. Acidity + tooth enamel = bad news. Add frequency to that equation, and things get worse. If you need carbonated drinks throughout your pregnancy (and many women do!), have them with meals, and add a bit of extra brushing here and there. The same goes for other cravings. Are milkshakes your thing? Have one with dinner, don’t feel guilty about it, and brush your teeth. Done!
If you are looking for advice on what to eat to promote dental health during pregnancy, Dr. MacBeth mentioned raw fruit, yogurt, and cheese.
Shades Creek Dental
Shades Creek Dental is one of our newest partners, and we have been thoroughly impressed. We first met Dr. MacBeth through one of our contributors who couldn’t say enough good things about him, his philosophy, the gorgeous office, or the rest of the staff. Did you catch our Facebook Live meet and greet with Dr. MacBeth? He’s great! And guess what? The practice is all about stellar equipment, and they decided brand new chairs with Tempur-Pedic foam would be perfect for their patients. Pregnant women can roll to their sides for a more comfortable examination!
There are so many great things to know about Shades Creek Dental, from their amazing Whitening for Life program, to the offer for a pregnancy cleaning when you mention this article, but we’ll let you check them out for yourself. If you’ve put your dental health on the back burner due to pregnancy, this crazy season of life with young children, or simply because you haven’t found a dental practice you love, can we encourage you to call Dr. MacBeth’s office? They get it, and they’d love to take care of you.
