More than half of pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, although some may experience them throughout their pregnancy. About two percent will suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum, a disease characterized by severe and persistent nausea and vomiting that requires medical attention as it can lead to dehydration in the mother.
If you suffer from frequent vomiting during your pregnancy , it is especially recommended that you take care of your mouth. Marisa and Laura Broseta , directors of the Broseta Dental Clinic, give us some very important recommendations about dental care during pregnancy .
Don’t brush right away
The first thing we usually do after vomiting is brush our teeth to remove that bad taste that remains after returning. However, you shouldn’t brush your teeth just after vomiting; wait 30 minutes and use your fluoride toothpaste .
Why wait? In itself, due to the changes in the composition of saliva (it is more acidic) that women have during pregnancy and lactation, the risk of dental erosions and cavities increases. The dental enamel subjected to acids remains porous and retentive, so the bacteria will be able to adhere better to the tooth with the risk of cavities that this entails.
This means that, if the enamel during pregnancy is going to be weaker and more porous, if we also vomit, the acidity increases and we still lose more enamel . If we brush that acid-covered surface immediately, we are going to mechanically remove even more enamel and we are going to promote tooth erosion.
Rinse your mouth with water or soda water
However, if after vomiting we rinse with bicarbonate dissolved in water (a teaspoon of coffee), we will neutralize the acid and stop the erosive effect of acid on our teeth.
We wait half an hour to make sure that the acid is no longer active and that brushing will not remove even more enamel. We brush with fluoride paste to remineralize the tooth and help it to replace lost enamel. Our body is very intelligent and immediately goes to work to make up for the losses that have occurred. We help you with the toothpaste.
Don’t forget night brushing
Brushing at night is the most important, so it is advisable to accompany it with a fluoride mouthwash , because at night the rate of respiration decreases and this favors the proliferation of anaerobic bacteria.
If we wash our mouth well before sleeping, we reduce the risk of tooth decay and periodontal disease. In addition, if the mouthwash is fluoridated, we will help our teeth to re-mineralize.
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