Oral care for a safe motherhood

No doubt, motherhood is a precious thing. It is very essential to take care of overall health during pregnancy. Without any exception, oral hygiene plays an important role in safe motherhood. During pregnancy, your mouth becomes more vulnerable to plaque and bacteria that may result in many gum issues. Unexpected dental problems may arise and cause unnecessary stress and worry.

Any dental change during pregnancy is an indication of something that can be found out only by a dentist. But some misconception like dental treatment during pregnancy is not safe is spread out everywhere. However, dental treatment during pregnancy is encouraged and completely safe.

Your child’s oral health will be better when they grew up if the dental problems are treated earlier.

The impact of dental health on a pregnant woman

If you think about how pregnancy causes gum problems, research says there is a direct relationship between gum disease and premature baby birth within 9 months of pregnancy. If the damage is more in teeth, the risk of premature birth is high. Thus, proper dental hygiene is highly encouraged during pregnancy.

Mother’s oral health and its associated baby’s health

Understanding the baby’s health can be easily monitored by finding the presence of bacteria in the mother’s mouth. If the number of bacteria present is high in the mother’s mouth, then the release of prostaglandins is also more in babies which will result in premature birth.

If a high amount of acidic bacteria is found in the mouther’s mouth, then the baby also has a high risk of getting acid-loving bacteria via vertical transmission. This is why regular dental checkup is encouraged during pregnancy.

Pregnancy oral care measures

To avoid pregnancy complications such as tumors, poor morning illness, and pregnancy gingivitis, it is very important to follow proper oral hygiene habits. Here are some oral hygiene habits to be followed during pregnancy.

1) Brush twice a day

Now your body is performing its activity not just for you, but also for your baby. Hence secretion of plaque and bacteria is also more during the entire process. So, it is highly recommended to brush your teeth twice a day without any excuse to keep your mouth clean and free from bacteria.

2) Clean your gums and tongue

Brushing your teeth alone doesn’t help, bacteria may settle in other areas like the tongue and gums. Scrape your tongue using a toothbrush containing a tongue scrapper at its head or get a separate tongue scraper to clean your mouth completely. If not, the bacteria settled in the tongue may travel through the food pipe to the intestine while consuming food. Hence, it is highly recommended to clean your tongue as well as gums.

3) Floss and Rinse

It is not possible to completely remove food debris from the mouth only through brushing. Food particles stuck in between the teeth will be removed only with flossing. Also, rinsing your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash is an added protection against bacteria and plaques that causes gingivitis.

4) Consume healthy snacks and meals

The food that you consume has a close impact on your dental health. The more the intake of nutritional and healthy food, the lesser the risk of oral problems.

5) Regular checkups and cleanings with the dentist

A dentist can trace much information about pregnancy through your dental health. This is why visiting a dentist regularly is important to keep your dental health on track. Dental cleaning regularly is the safest way to keep away any dental problems.

Pregnancy creates a big difference in your lifestyle and body. For safe motherhood, oral care is also important like other pregnancy cares.