Morning sickness can harm your oral health because vomiting and reflux bathe your teeth in stomach acid, which softens enamel and can lead to sensitivity and cavities. After vomiting, rinse with water and wait before brushing, and ask your dentist about safe ways to protect your teeth if your symptoms are severe.
Prevent Acid Damage
Vomiting and heartburn with reflux expose the teeth to stomach acids. Tooth enamel is the strongest substance in the body, but it’s not safe from acid attacks.
Normally, the pH balance in our mouths is neutral, around a 7 on a scale of 0 to 14. When acidic conditions lower the oral pH to 5.5 or below, the minerals in enamel begin to dissolve, leading to sensitivity and, eventually, cavities. The pH of our stomach acid ranges from 1.5 to 2.5. This is great for digesting food, but not great at all for enamel and sensitive gum tissue.
Whenever we vomit, the immediate (and understandable!) impulse is to reach for our toothbrushes. But this is an impulse we should resist. Because acids weaken tooth enamel, scouring the teeth with a toothbrush right away can cause more erosive damage. Instead,
- Wait half an hour or more before brushing to give your enamel time to recover its strength.
- In the meantime, rinse with water and perhaps a bit of toothpaste or diluted, doctor-approved mouthwash.
Keep Hydrated
Another consequence of frequent vomiting is dehydration. It’s always important to keep our bodies properly hydrated, and this is particularly true during pregnancy.
Drinking enough water also helps your mouth. Saliva washes away the bacteria and food particles that cause cavities and irritate the gums, which matters more during pregnancy, because pregnancy hormones make gingivitis more likely.
- Drink water as recommended by your doctor. It’s healthy, it hydrates, and it helps prevent cavities and gum disease. Win/win/win.
- Whichever fluids are your favorites, drinking them in measured amounts through the day will be more effective and more appetizing than drinking large amounts once or twice a day to catch up.
- You have a busy life, so make things easy on yourself. If you need to hydrate more, keep track of your hydration goals with an app or a phone notification. There are even “smart bottles” to track your intake. Or go old school, and fill a bottle marked with timed measurements to remind you to hydrate through your day.
When The Very Idea of Brushing Is Nauseating . . .
When just the thought of brushing is unappetizing, we have suggestions which might help.
- Postpone brushing until later in the day when you feel better. Rinse with water first thing in the morning instead.
- Trade in your regular toothbrush for one with a smaller brush head. This can help prevent the gag reflex.
- Brush slowly, using small strokes.
- If brushing the back teeth is particularly triggering, try deep breathing or sitting down to brush.
Let us know when you find out you’re pregnant. We have tips for the coming months, including ways to reduce the effects of morning sickness on your teeth. Morning sickness is temporary, and we’ll help you protect your teeth until it passes.
