Tooth Pain During Pregnancy – Causes and Remedies

Pregnancy is a wonderful phase and almost all women want to embrace motherhood at some point. But this journey of pregnancy is not easy for all women. Pregnancy may bring about various challenges or complications with it, such as tooth pain. While tooth pain during pregnancy may be perceived as a small complication, it can be very painful. If you’re pregnant, and experiencing sudden pain in your teeth, read this article to learn why could be the cause for the same. Also learn what you can do to take care of your teeth during pregnancy.

Can Pregnancy Cause Toothache?

If you are wondering if your pregnancy may cause any kind of dental problems, the answer to this question is yes, pregnancy may lead to teeth and gum problems. Dental problems during pregnancy may arise due to hormonal imbalance, calcium requirements of your baby, and other such factors. However, if you are consuming calcium in adequate amounts, maintaining dental hygiene and paying your dentist a regular visit, you are less likely to experience any kind of dental issues during pregnancy.

Does Toothache Affect Your Unborn Baby?

In a study, it was established that there was a direct link between severe gum ailments that a woman may experience during pregnancy and low birth or preterm babies being born to these women. In a study conducted on 100 pregnant women, who suffered from chronic periodontal disease, 18 women were reported to have delivered preterm or premature babies. However, proper care and prompt dental treatment reduce the risk of preterm or premature babies to a great extent.

What Are the Causes of Tooth Pain in Pregnancy?

Following are some of the causes that may cause tooth pain during pregnancy:

• Morning sickness may be one of the reasons for dental issues during pregnancy. When the stomach acid comes into your mouth, it may lead to dental cavities and toothaches during pregnancy.

• The hormonal disturbances in the body during pregnancy may make you more prone to gingivitis, which in turn may lead to various tooth and gum troubles.

• Your diet undergoes various changes during pregnancy. If you consume sugary products in excess quantities, then it may increase your chances of dental problems.

• When you become pregnant, your body’s calcium requirement increases as it needs to facilitate the calcium requirements of a growing foetus. However, if you do not consume adequate amounts of calcium during pregnancy, it may lead to demineralisation on your tooth enamel, causing toothaches and pains.

• Pregnancy may make your gums and teeth sensitive, and this may lead to improper brushing or make you brush less frequently, which in turn may lead to dental problems.

Treatment for a Toothache in Pregnancy

Where some women may like to postpone their dental treatment until their delivery, others may have to get the treatment to avoid further complications. Here are some treatment recommendations that your doctor may make:

1. X-ray

Sometimes your doctor may have to make use of an x-ray to establish the extent of damage to the tooth. Many women fear that undergoing an x-ray can have adverse effects on their unborn baby. Your dentist may not recommend an x-ray until or unless it is absolutely necessary for your treatment, but if he does then you may be told to wear a lead apron that may save your baby from the ill-effects of an x-ray.

2. Medication

Whenever you visit a dentist for solving your dental problems bring it to his notice that you are pregnant, as there are some medicines for a toothache that may lead to birth defects and other complications in your baby if taken during pregnancy. You will require a course of antibiotics in case you have any kind of gum or tooth infection.

Natural Remedies

Pregnancy may make you extra cautious regarding your health, and when it comes to dealing with dental troubles, you will first want to try some natural remedies. Well, the good news is we have some natural remedies that you may effectively use to treat tooth pain during pregnancy. But do note that these remedies are temporary and their effects may not last long. You will have to take proper dental treatment to get rid of the pain.

• Cloves are one of the best options for treating tooth pain. You may either chew on a clove or apply clove oil on the affected tooth.

• Chewing on some spinach leaves is also an effective remedy for tooth pain during pregnancy.

• Hot compression may also help in reducing the pain. You may soak a washcloth in some warm water and apply on the face, where your tooth may be hurting.

• Gargling with the decoction made by boiling some guava leaves or chewing some guava leaves directly also helps in curing the toothache.

• Allicin present in garlic is effective in killing the tooth-decaying bacteria and thus chewing on a garlic pod can also relieve the tooth pain.

Can Vomiting Damage Your Teeth?

Frequent vomiting bouts or acid refluxes during pregnancy may coat your teeth with stomach acid. This acid damages the tooth enamel and thus may cause various dental problems. Hence, vomiting during pregnancy may damage your teeth.

How to Increase Calcium and Vitamin D

Calcium not only protects your bone mass during pregnancy but also helps in the formation of fetal bones and teeth too. So, here are some foods rich in calcium that you should include in your diet:

• Cheese
• Curd
• Calcium-fortified soy milk

Calcium is important for your body, but in the dearth of vitamin D in the body, it does not get properly absorbed by your body. So along with calcium, your body should also get enough vitamin D. You can include these foods in your diet:

• Salmon and other fatty fishes
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Fortified margarine

Things to Remember While Brushing Your Teeth

There are a few things that you should remember while brushing your teeth to reduce the chances of having any tooth problems during pregnancy. Here’s what you need to do when brushing your teeth:

• Take some time to brush your teeth and go for slow brushing strokes.
• If you do not like the taste of your toothpaste, try using different toothpaste.
• Be deliberate with your brushing action, however, do not brush vigorously.
• Use a brush with a smaller head, which is usually used by younger children.
• If brushing makes you feel like vomiting, we recommend distracting yourself by listening to some music or closing your eyes and focusing on something else.

Pre-Pregnancy Dental Health Care Tips

If you are trying to get pregnant, apart from taking other precautions, you should also pay heed to your dental health so that you do not have any dental problems during pregnancy. Here are some pre-pregnancy dental care tips that may help you in taking care of your oral hygiene:

• Go for regular dental visits so that any dental problem can be taken care of.
• Brush your teeth twice a day.
• Floss, floss, and floss – daily!

Prevention is better than cure, so your efforts should be integrated towards not having any kind of tooth problems during pregnancy. But despite taking precautions, if you develop any kind of dental problems, visit your dentist at the earliest.

Also Read: Home Remedies for Tooth Pain and Bleeding Gums when Pregnant