A toothache during pregnancy is a problem, that is faced by about 50 percent of women. There are several causes for this toothache.
If you or your dear ones is facing this issue then you should the know why it happens, symptoms and how you can get rid of it.
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Causes Of Toothaches During Pregnancy
Main causes of a toothache during pregnancy are the following:
1. Changes In Your Diet
When you are pregnant then you are on a totally different diet. When you are pregnant then intake of milk and sugar-containing foods increase. This increase leads to the decay of your tooth and this decay leads to the ache in teeth.
2. Gingivitis In Pregnancy
During pregnancy there are hormonal changes in your body and these hormonal changes results in the inflammation and swelling of gums. This pregnancy-related gingivitis causes tooth disease, infections of gum, and this even can also cause abscesses in the gums.
These are painful when they occur in your body. More than 50 percent of women face this problem of gingivitis during their pregnancy.
3. Issues Of Morning Sickness
Morning sickness is a normal phenomenon during pregnancy, and when you vomit during pregnancy, then the acid from your stomach can come to your mouth and this acid when coming in contact of your teeth then this can lead to decay of your teeth leading to aching in your teeth.
4. Calcium Deficiency
During the period of pregnancy, women need more calcium for the formation of bones of the fetus.
That’s why women are usually kept on supplementation of calcium during their pregnancy but still, this supplementation is not enough, and there occurs a deficiency of calcium in the body which leads to demineralization of tooth enamel which leads to the pain in your teeth.
5. Problems Of Oral Hygiene
During pregnancy, women face a lot of sensitivities, they like some smell and hate some of them. Some women do not like the smell of paste due to which they try to avoid brushing their teeth.
Less brushing leads to the decay problems in the teeth leading to the ache in teeth.
Prevention Of Toothaches During Pregnancy
Prevention is better than cure is a well known saying and it should be implemented here as well. First and the most important thing to be taken care is that a pregnant lady should brush her teeth twice regularly to save her teeth from decay.
She should visit her dentist in the starting time of pregnancy and should regularly visit to doctor as well for proper care of their teeth. She should visit at least once every three months. And if you are feeling any ache, visit your doctor as soon as possible.
Should Tooth Decay Be Treated During Pregnancy?
Even after taking proper prevention if your tooth decays during pregnancy then this always remain a big question that should tooth decay be treated during pregnancy. Is it completely safe?
There are two methods for treating tooth decay which is with X-Rays and with proper medications. Both treatments can be taken during pregnancy but with proper care.
a. X-rays
X-Rays are not safe for the child to present in a pregnant lady. So, doctors usually allow for taking this treatment if treatment is necessary but you will be asked to wear a lead apron so that X-Rays do not enter the body parts which can destroy your body. So, you can take this procedure for curing tooth decay, but with a doctor, you have complete faith in.
b. Medications
There are a lot of medical treatments for healing tooth decay. All of them are not suitable to be used during pregnancy but some of them are, and your doctor will suggest you the appropriate method. So, do not worry to take medical treatment during pregnancy. You can have that with proper consultation with the doctor.
Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Toothaches During Pregnancy
There are various natural remedies for the treatment of a toothache which are completely safe to be adopted during pregnancy. These are:
1. Hot Compress
Hot compress is effective in dealing with tooth decay as when you apply hot compress on the side of the face where it is paining then hotness will improve the circulation in the affected area and helps your immune system to tackle the problem of pain.
It is one of the easiest and most readily available remedies for treating tooth ache during pregnancy, and it is completely safe.
2. Cold Ice
Coldness is helpful for numb the nerves that are causing pain. You need to take cold water and dip the cloth in this water.
Rinse the cloth and apply on the face where it is aching, and you will seriously feel a lot of relief. This is because ice will be helpful to numb the nerves where you are feeling pain.
3. Onions
Onions are really helpful for providing relief from the pain. You just need to chew an onion for few minutes and observe the magic. If you cannot chew it, then apply the onion juice on the tooth. Onion juice is very effective for treating toothache.
4. Garlic
Garlic is also very effective for the treatment of the pain in the tooth. You need to chew the garlic clove. Garlic contains allicin which is an antibiotic agent, and it is helpful in attacking the bacteria that causes the infection in the tooth.
So, if you take garlic then you will be highly relieved from pain and garlic is completely safe to be consumed during pregnancy.
5. Guava Leaves
Guava leaves are also very helpful for getting relief from tooth ache. You can either chew the guava leaves, or you can also gargle with the solution prepared by adding guava leaves in the salted water.
6. Cloves
Cloves are also very helpful for getting relief from a toothache. You can either chew it to get rid of pain, or you can also apply it on the teeth by pouring the juice of cloves on the cotton and then apply it on the teeth.
This not only provides you relief from aching but it is also helpful for getting relief from infectious symptoms as it is an antiseptic as well.
7. Spinach
Spinach is also helpful in getting rid of a toothache during pregnancy. You can either directly chew the leaves of spinach, or you can also make a paste out of it and then apply it to the tooth which is aching.
8. Warm Water
Warm water is a simple remedy for getting relief from the pain of a toothache. You just need to add some salt in lukewarm water and then gargle with this water. This method will be helpful in removing the food particles if any lodged in your teeth.
9. Stay Away From Sugar-Containing Foods
Sugar and tooth decay are very related, and this is known to everyone. So, if you want to get relief from pain, then you should avoid sugar-containing foods.
Bottom Line
These are the various natural ways of getting relief, but instead of this, you should try your teeth from getting decayed by taking proper preventive measures and take these measures if you are facing toothache. These are completely safe to be followed during pregnancy.