Sensitive Teeth and Pregnancy: Causes & Remedies Of It

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When we mention sensitive teeth and pregnancy, everyone knows the loads of physiological change it comes with, right from the first trimester of pregnancy to the time you deliver a newborn baby. These changes happen not only to your body but also to your mouth. One of the changes you’ll experience in your mouth is teeth sensitivity.

You’ll often hear many pregnant women explain that they’re undergoing some tingling sensation on their teeth after taking sugary foods, hot or cold stuff. So, if you thought that this is strange occurrence and you’re the only one suffering from it, this will make you feel comfortable.

Here’s some quick solution if you are in a hurry:

Sensitive Teeth and Pregnancy – What Are The Causes?

In general, the pregnancy changes occurring in your body are the major culprits behind the pain in your teeth and gums. Let’s discuss these changes below:

Increased Blood Circulation

One of the physiological changes that occur in your body during pregnancy is an increase in the blood flow. You might not know this but it happens. Remember that your body must work overtime to support you as well as your body- hence the increase in blood supply. For proper blood circulation in your body, you should use maternity leggings. TheSuperMommy has some awesome reviews on their blog. That really helps.

While this may sound good to you and your unborn child, it also has some negative effects on your mouth. That is, it causes your gums to swell and feel tender to touch and your teeth to become highly sensitive to sweet, sour, hot or cold stuff.

Hormonal Changes

You know that there are many hormonal changes that occur in your body right from the first week of pregnancy. While these changes are necessary and important for your growing fetus, they tend to soften the tissues in your mouth.

This will directly affect your oral health in that it will cause bleeding and make your teeth sensitive. Even if you’ve never experienced it before, taking hot or cold foods will easily stimulate your teeth sensitivity caused by hormonal changes.

And Oh! Something else… these hormonal changes will also affect the way your body responds to bacteria. This makes it easy for plaque to form on your teeth, putting you at the risk of getting periodontal infections- more teeth sensitivity.

Nausea

I know this one caught you by surprise. And now you’re wondering how on earth nausea can result into sensitive teeth. Right? I’ll teach how it all goes down. When pregnant, some women will experience the morning sickness.

This comes along with nausea. And nausea comes along with some acid. Now, if you leave this acid in your mouth, it can erode your teeth (or cause enamel erosion). Once the enamel is shed out, the dentine beneath it will be exposed and the final result will be sensitive teeth!

Vomiting

Vomiting in pregnant women is common during the early stages of pregnancy. If you didn’t know, vomiting also contributes to teeth sensitivity in pregnant mothers. Again, if you are wondering how this happens, come with me as I explain it to you in a simple language…

As you know, when you vomit, it passes through the mouth. The vomit is packed with stomach acids. When these acids ass through your mouth, they’ll interact with your teeth enamel and consequently cause dental erosion.

As with nausea, eroded enamel will expose the dentine and make your teeth sensitive to external stimuli.

If the pregnant mother is also suffering from pulp inflammation or have tooth decay, the pain might be too much for her that she might get sleepless nights. If this happens to you and the dentist is out of reach, we highly recommend you to try any of the following remedies for sensitive teeth during pregnancy…

What Can You Do To Stop Sensitive Teeth During Pregnancy?

If you’re having sensitive teeth right now, there are a few things you can do to reduce the pain. These includes:

Investing in a Softer Toothbrush

Sensitive teeth should be treated as a special guest. They demand a sensitive touch and the best way to meet this demand is by brushing them with a toothbrush made of soft bristles. If you’re lucky enough to get a good quality toothbrush with soft bristles, you’ll be able to thoroughly and gently brush your teeth, thus reducing the bleeding and soreness with time. This equates to tooth pain gone for good!

Keep Off Sugary Foods

Eating sweet foods is like feeding the bacteria in your mouth. This can lead to soreness and cavities. Keeping off these foods completely will save you a lot of pain. But if you’re tempted to take them, brush immediately afterward to get rid of the fresh debris.

Avoid Foods That Trigger the Pain

If you’ve been having sensitive teeth for some weeks, you ought to know the foods that are highly responsible for it. We term these foods as trigger foods and the best thing you can do is to avoid them if you want to do away with that sharp pain that gives you some discomforts.

Floss regularly

Flossing is an important oral hygienic practice for pregnant women as it helps keep periodontal disease and gingivitis at bay. If your tooth is very sensitive during pregnancy, we recommended you to use thin or waxed floss. Still, you can look for a high-quality oral irrigator that will penetrate every part of your mouth, including the hard-to-floss areas.

Brush Your Teeth regularly

That you’re pregnant, it does not mean that you should stop brushing your teeth. In fact, you should do it properly and frequently at this stage as you’re at a higher risk of getting infected with various dental problems. Ensure you brush after every meal and for at least 5 minutes. Remember to use a soft bristled toothbrush and good toothpaste like the one discussed below…

A Desensitizing Toothpaste Can Help

Did you know that there are special kinds of toothpaste for people with sensitive teeth? These can be very useful when going through sensitive teeth and pregnancy at the same time!

These products have been formulated to help take care of you oral hygiene and at the same time reduce the sensitivity you might be undergoing. Try out one of the high-quality kinds of toothpaste for sensitive teeth and see the difference.

Make a Point of Rinsing Your Mouth

Do this especially after vomiting. As we said, nausea/vomiting leaves some acid residue in your mouth which if left unattended to; it might cause dental erosion and hence teeth sensitivity. If you make it a habit of rinsing your mouth with water of fluoridated mouthwash, you’ll be able to keep the acid level in check and stop it from affecting our teeth sensitivity.

Final Thoughts on Sensitive Teeth and Pregnancy

If you attribute your sensitive teeth to pregnancy, don’t panic. You can combat this discomfort by following our list of top remedies above. But if the problem persists, visit your dentist!