2 Tips For Maintaining Your Dental Health When Suffering From Morning Sickness

A whopping 80 to 90 percent of women suffer from nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Frequently referred to as morning sickness, the nausea and vomiting can occur at any time of the day. Some women experience morning sickness primarily during the first trimester of pregnancy, but it's not uncommon to have other episodes during other portions of your pregnancy. If you suffer from morning sickness, you may wonder if it is having any ill effects on your dental health. Here are a couple of guidelines to help you keep your teeth as healthy as possible when battling morning sickness.

1. Avoid Brushing Your Teeth Right After Vomiting

Some women experience nausea, but little vomiting during pregnancy. If you're one of the unlucky individuals who does suffer from vomiting, avoid brushing your teeth directly after you vomit. When you vomit, acid and bile from your stomach are expelled. These substances are both acidic and weaken the enamel of your teeth; should you brush your teeth immediately after you get sick, you can actually damage the enamel.

Instead of brushing, rinse your mouth with water a few times to remove the acid and bile from your teeth. Then, use mouthwash to freshen your mouth. Look for a variety with fluoride to help strengthen your enamel. You may also want to switch to a toothpaste that contains fluoride as well. In cases of severe vomiting, your dentist may recommend a prescription toothpaste to assist you with preserving the enamel of your teeth and repairing damage caused by frequent vomiting. 

2. Understand the Side Effects of Anti-Nausea Medications

In some cases, your doctor may prescribe an anti-nausea medication to help control your vomiting and queasiness. Though these medications can may help alleviate the dental woes caused by your morning sickness, they may create a new set of problems that can harm your teeth and mouth.

One common side effect of anti-nausea medication is dry mouth. Your mouth becomes dryer become the medication reduces the amount of saliva that you have in your mouth. Saliva plays an important role in maintaining an optimal level of dental health. It helps create a moist environment that assists your mouth with keeping germs at bay.

This puts you at risk for developing cavities and gum disease. Saliva also assists with removing food particles with your teeth. 

To combat dry mouth associated with your anti-nausea medication, drink plenty of water and consider chewing sugar-free gum or sucking on sugar-free candy to help keep the mouth moist. Some women find that sucking on hard candy can also help reduce their nausea, especially if the candy contains nausea-fighting ingredients like ginger. 

For more information, check out a website like https://www.mysunshinedentistry.com/ today.


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