Three Steps To Avoiding Dental Work During Pregnancy
A lot of controversy surrounds the topic of dental work during pregnancy. Generally, it’s not considered the epitome of healthy living. But did you know you can avoid it by making a few simple changes to your daily oral hygiene routine?
I didn’t. When I was pregnant with Benjamin, my teeth had issues. This is normal, as the hormonal fluctuations cause the higher mouth acidity that almost always leads to dental problems. The first trimester, I could barely brush them. Every time I put my toothbrush in my mouth I gagged horribly and at least a couple of times had to regurgitate part of my supper.
The rest of the pregnancy, my teeth were super-sensitive. They were so bad, in fact, I had a filling put in, hoping it would put me out of my misery.
And yes, it was a mercury filling. On a wisdom tooth that was going to be pulled two years later anyway. *Sigh.*
Although it did help relieve the pain, there was a better way about which I was completely ignorant. In her groundbreaking book, Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye: A Do-It-Yourself Mouth Care System for Healthy, Clean Gums and Teeth, Ellie Phillips, DDS, reveals an easy tooth-care plan that will do miracles in not only preventing dental problems during pregnancy, but even healing tooth decay and gum disease in every child and adult who follows the plan.
Here are the three steps to avoiding dental work during pregnancy.
1. Acid-neutralizing prerinse
Many people develop gum disease and tooth decay because of high mouth acidity, which encourages the growth of bad bacteria in the mouth. Therefore, Dr. Phillips recommends neutralizing this acid before brushing your teeth. When you do that, you reduce your risk of spreading the nasties around in your mouth while you brush.
She recommends a chlorine-dioxide rinse; I don’t use a pre-rinse. I swish my mouth with xylitol all day long, which is not only anti-bacterial but also neutralizing. And the native peoples around the world with no dental problems certainly don’t worry about it!
2. Brush your teeth
Duh. But there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Dr. Phillips explains how in her book; basically, you brush gently against the gum with a small-headed, soft-bristled toothbrush. You also must sanitize your brush after cleaning, or the next time you brush you will put more bad bacteria into your mouth.
Again, a drop of essential oil in a little water will cleanse your toothbrush just fine. Make sure to store it upright in a cup so that it can air-dry.
3. Rinse with an antiseptic and protective rinse
When you’re done brushing, Dr. Phillips suggests using a conventional mouthwash to kill any lingering bacteria, and then a protective rinse that contains either flouride or xylitol.
Well, I now brush my teeth with an essential oil blend created specifically for brushing teeth called “Shine”. My teeth are getting disinfected while I brush; why do I need to rinse afterward? If you don’t use essential oils during brushing, you may do well in considering a protective post-rinse.
(This website explains the hazards of synthetic flouride; this one explains what xylitol is and does.)
If you are in your first trimester of pregnancy and want to throw up every time you put a tooth brush in your mouth, simply performing this protocal will go a long way in keeping your teeth healthy while your baby grows in your womb.
