Dental hygiene during pregnancy

This is my 'brush your teeth, Ladies' edition of pregnancy-related information.

Ok, I went to my gynaecologist and she said all is fine and it feels like that too. :-) Just writing this adds to having a great day for me. But, my doctor also told me to keep up cleaning teeth and gums, even though the gums are more sensitive now than before. 

The reason why she raised this issue was primarily because of the periodontitis bacteria that would inhabit my mouth otherwise, with a little bit of bad luck. Sounds harmless, but can cause harm to baby. ... You bet I thought about every time I might have forgotten to brush my teeth (once this year, because I slept) and also every time I thought I had brushed less than my two minutes. 

The (poisonous) metabolic  products that some bacteria produce could enter the bloodstream and as a result could actually cause preterm delivery. So, this concerns baby's safety and therefore, brushing teeth and cleaning the mouth area can be more important than I had known before.

Well, I sure will keep my mouth very clean, not even foul language will leave it. :-)

Up to February, brushing teeth in the evening was a ritual that hubby and I did together. This might help in some cases. Brushing teeth on your own is a bit more on the boring side for me, since hubby often goes to bed later than I do now. I really miss this little part of being together with him. I think I'll ask him, whether he'd keep company with me for brushing our teeth. It's more fun when both of us stand there with a white tooth paste beard around the lips :)

Some more ideas that might help to keep your mouth clean and healthy:

Brush your teeth after each meal, and since your gums will probably be pretty sensitive, I'd go for a soft brush.

Use dental floss to clean between your teeth, too. You don't want dental plaque anyway, but definitely not during pregancy. It's about bacteria again.

Eat healthy, raw veggies now and then are good, too. And don't cook your veggies until they are mushy. If your cooked veggies are not too soft, you chew a bit more. Eating that and chewing a lot strengthens your gums. That again reduces gum inflammation. 

Don't eat too sweet or sour. Doing so will harm your tooth enamel.

And, if  you have the chance, go to the dentist before pregnancy. During pregnancy dentists won't do more than absolutely necessary, to prevent problems for mother and child. 

During pregnancy it would be ideal if you went about once every three months to the dentist. Just for a check up. And pregnant women don't have to wait long there either. :)

This is something I did not hear from my doctor, because my teeth are fine. 

But if your gums are already inflamed, camomile tea is a good start to clean your mouth and get rid of the bugs. But then you should rinse, not drink the tea. 

You could do the same with warm saltwater.  

Sugar free chewing gum can help, too. There is a substance in it which reduces bacteria.