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Do’s and Don’ts when you have a toothache during pregnancy
A severe toothache during pregnancy can’t scare you and is also something which cannot be ignored and should take it as a priority. There are two major factors due to which a toothache occurs when one is pregnant. There are two main reasons which affect tooth and causes pain during pregnancy.
The first being a reality when we talk about a toothache during early pregnancy and the second but the other is only a myth. Pregnant women have a higher chance of getting exposed to dental problems. This is a reality which all should know or be aware. Pregnant women have high chances of losing teeth or experiencing pain during their tenure. The myth and the perceived misconception are that you should not get your teeth treated as it can cause miscarriage or problems to your fetus.
Real causes of a toothache during Pregnancy?
Pregnancy and toothache are very much in sync with each other based on the reasons. Here is a list of few causes which occurs during pregnancy and results in tooth decay and pain. This is similar to swelling or inflammation problems that can happen to any one of us.
- Morning Sickness
We often hear that pregnant ladies usually in the early morning feel nauseated and vulnerable. This mainly occurs in the first trimester, and for few women, it affects the whole nine-month period. When a pregnant woman gets that vomiting feeling the acid from the stomach reaches her mouth. And if that stays there for some seconds also it causes irritation and cavity. If this happens for continually for few days, it leads to a toothache and decay during pregnancy in all the semesters.
- Calcium deficiency
The doctors prescribe the proper amount of Vitamins and Calcium for the baby’s growth and formation. During this period with the excess intake, you see yourself deficient as the whole of calcium is used for the development of bones for the fetus. Hence due to this deficiency Toothache which is caused by tooth decay can happen.
- Oral Hygiene Issues
During pregnancy lot of women complain about getting sensitive towards taste or smell. This happens due to change in the hormones and the formation and growth of fetus inside the womb. In this case, hygiene issues are seen among Women. Sensitivity also happens in tooth and results in a severe toothache during pregnancy.
You eat differently while you are pregnant. When you drink a lot of milk and sugar-containing products, the chances of a toothache during pregnancy is raised. Also, decays happen very easily.
- Dietary changes
As it is a known fact that during pregnancy a lot of hormones are produced in the body and a woman’s body is severely transformed. These changes have a huge impact on the body resulting in swelling and inflammation of the gums. This is known as gingivitis in pregnancy which causes gum infections and other tooth-related problems which are severely painful. This phenomenon is widespread among women who are pregnant.
Precautions for Pain relief during pregnancy
The myth is that you should not go to a Dentist while you are pregnant. This is not a fact and is undoubtedly debatable. A women’s pregnancy cannot stop her to get the regular dental checkup and resolve problems if facing any during pregnancy. Healthcare scientists and doctors nowadays suggest that severe dental problems should be given priority during any pregnancy. We just need to take some precautions before getting some treatment such as Root Canal etc. and consult our gynaecologist for avoiding any complications later.
Learn more about root canal treatment steps
The main concerns are related to the scans, anaesthesia, and getting-Rays done. Also, the medications that can be prescribed by the doctors can be hard. So in case you are pregnant you need to update the dentist beforehand. This will help you understand what actually can go wrong when you are pregnant.
- X-rays
Getting X-rays done during pregnancy along with dental treatments is a common concern among people. Only if it is necessary and important, then only your dentist will try to take the X-ray. If treatment can be completed without a need for it, he will not take it forward. Even if he does he will use a lead apron shield and collar which is a must have in case you are pregnant and the treatment needs an X-ray, this will help the dentist to get control of the station with no harm to the baby.
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- Anesthesia
The dose of Anesthesia is kept at the minimum level so that there is no damage to the child. If this treatment is continued, it may cause serious hazards so before taking anything on similar lines, you must consult with your doctor.
- Medicines
Usually, no painkiller or antibiotics or any other medication is prescribed apart from the usual Folic acid and the Vitamins to the mother. The drugs which given to the mother normally can be harmful to the baby. Studies show that if medicines for a toothache like oxycodone and Percocet are given, they can result in congenital disabilities. That is the only reason doctors advise not to take any medicine along with the regular ones. In case you decide to use you need to cross check with your doctor. If he approves the painkillers and there is no other option you can take those under their supervision. This reduces the unnecessary stress which comes from taking such medicines which are not good for the well-being of the mother and the baby.
The necessity of dental treatments
If you know that you are planning and you might conceive or your wife will conceive in few months, you should take the advice of the required doctors and take as treatments related to dentistry before pregnancy. This helps in stress-free pregnancy and no complications during the birth of the baby.
If you know that you are planning and you might conceive or your wife will conceive in few months, you should take the advice of the required doctors and take as treatments related to dentistry before pregnancy. This helps in stress-free pregnancy and no complications during the birth of the baby.
The timing of treatment
The second trimester usually looks the safest to have any planned dental procedures. In case you already have conceived you can precede or postpone it accordingly. If you experience tooth pain or decay which can lead to dental treatments during your first trimester, you should immediately consult your dentist to postpone the dates. The Same thing can be done if X-Rays are planned. Also by depending on the condition of your tooth the treatment could be performed. In that case, you should always keep your doctor in confidence. Though a toothache during third pregnancy trimester does not pose any significant risks to the fetus, long duration hours to sit can be severe for the mother to be. Hence, it is recommended to get the treatments done before the 3rd semester and after the 1st half.
Home remedies for a pregnancy toothache
In case you don’t have significant problems relating to a toothache but just a little pain here and there. You can consult your doctor and take some home remedies which can help you minimize the pain without having any side effects. The home remedies can also be found in the article below. This can be followed by just a few days. If the pain doesn’t lower, you should always see a doctor.Read best home remedies for tooth pain here.
Prevention of a severe toothache during pregnancy (Video)
- Diet – Diet is important for everybody. As you will be taking care of the child, it is crucial to have a diet free of sugar and sticky things which might lead to the cavity. We understand that there are cravings which occur during the pregnancy but always visit a doctor regularly. Take enough precautions as this can be hazardous later if you see any cavities or decay in the tooth. Pregnancy and toothache should not go hand in hand hence proper diet is a must.
- Dental exams – You should be regularly seeing a dentist. If you are planning a baby, this should be on your list before conceiving. To avoid any treatments or complications later, it’s always good to see a dentist in every 4-6 months. Tooth pain while pregnant is something very annoying.
- Oral hygiene – Always be extra cautious during pregnancy with your daily oral health so that common dental problem, for example, pregnancy gingivitis can be prevented. For example – root canal during pregnancy can be avoided.
Home remedies for a toothache during Pregnancy
There are many simple and quick home remedies which can help you if you have cavities or decay during pregnancy. If precautions are taken beforehand, you can avoid serious damage to yourself and the baby. Natural remedies are tried after understanding what is required. Always do or eat under some supervision. Pregnancy can be difficult, and you can also feel nauseated during the same. Hence toothache relief during pregnancy is required. Try to take the remedy in early mornings in the presence of some family member.
- Hot compresses
You can take a cotton cloth and dip it in warm water. Even hot bags when wrapped around with a cloth can be used to keep it in the face on top of the affected area. The steam heals the pain, and you can repeat this for some days if the pains don’t subside.
- Ice packs
A bag with a cold compress, for example, a cube of ice in it can ease out the pain if any in the tooth during pregnancy. You can also apply cold damped cloth on your affected area in the face to feel better. Doing this numbs your nerves which cause pain and toothaches tooth pain during pregnancy.
- Cloves
Cloves are a great ingredient to ease out the tooth pains during pregnancy. Either you can eat the clove and chew it as long as you can. Or you can also put clove oil on a cotton ball and apply directly to the decay or affected tooth area. This will ease out a severe toothache during pregnancy. This forms one of the simplest home remedies.
- Garlic
If you have Garlic at your home, you don’t have to worry at all. Just take some pieces of garlic and chew it thoroughly to reduce a toothache during pregnancy. Garlic is an age-old home remedy for the treatment of a cavity. You can also add crushed garlic and clove together to see better results. This garlic contains allicin has an antibiotic agent that heals and attacks the bacteria in the tooth if any during pregnancy.
- Onions
One of the other remedies is to chew onion pieces every day. If you do so, the juice that gets extracted helps in alleviating the toothache during pregnancy. Though sometimes the onion can be tough to chew hence you can dilute a little and have it. Thus using this reduce your pain in the tooth.Also, check “how to drain a tooth abscess at home“.
- Warm water
Hot water a well-known home remedy which is the best and simplest solution seen. You don’t have to do anything except preparing yourself some warm water every day and gargle it by adding one pinch of salt to it. If you do it after you get up in the morning, you will soon see best results.Brush your teeth twice a day
You can try more than one remedies together for quick results. Pregnancy is a beautiful period, and one should not ignore or be careless I case you see the above causes. Hope this article serves the purpose of giving you useful information which you can apply to yourself.Follow for more natural remedies for a toothache.
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