Love Your Gums!

My brother-in-law is a dentist. My sister-in-law is a dental therapist and my youngest sister is a dental nurse. So I really shouldn’t be as rubbish about going to the dentist as I am.

I generally don’t get too many problems with my teeth so when those reminders come through, they just get chucked to the back of the pile of letters. That however was a different story when I became pregnant with Max. I went for a check up as soon as I got my maternity fee-exemption card through the post. I just thought it was great that I could get free dental care whilst pregnant. Who doesn’t love a freebie? And I ignorantly thought it was just a perk of being pregnant. Having experienced sore gums whilst I was pregnant and ‘Googling’ everything under the sun about pregnancy, as you do, I found that there is a reason for the free dental care. Who knew?! Haha.

Gums can become swollen and sore, especially during pregnancy, due to hormonal changes that allow more of a build up in plaque (don’t ya just love hormones). So here are some top tips from the NHS about looking after your teeth and gums during pregnancy:

• clean your teeth carefully twice a day for two minutes – ask your dentist to show you a good brushing method to remove all the plaque
• brushing is best with a small-headed toothbrush with soft filaments – make sure it’s comfortable to hold
• avoid having sugary drinks (such as fizzy drinks or sweet tea) and sugary foods too often – try to keep them only to meal times
• if you’re hungry between meals, snack on vegetables and avoid sugary or acidic foods
• avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol
• stop smoking as it can make gum disease worse
• if you have morning sickness and you vomit, rinse your mouth afterwards with plain water. This will help prevent the acid in your vomit attacking your teeth. Do not brush your teeth straight away as they will be softened by the acid from the stomach.

BritMums asked if I could review the new Oral B Pro Expert Gum Protection Toothpaste and as I’m now pregnant again, I thought it was perfect timing.

Firstly, the taste of the toothpaste is amazing – we’ve all been using in our house and all love it. Really nice taste and not too minty or overpowering. I have noticed that so far I haven’t experienced bleeding gums like I did in my first pregnancy, which is always a bonus. I really like that it is a toothpaste specialising in gum care, rather than just whitening or sensitivity, and it obviously still cleans your teeth and freshens your breath. It is the first toothpaste I’ve heard of it that is for gum care primarily and I would recommend it to anyone suffering with gum disease, or to any pregnant women who are more likely to suffer problems.

Love your gums!

Rebecca x

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This post is an entry for BritMums’ #ORALBLoveYourGums Challenge  sponsored by Oral-B, promoting healthy gums – something especially important for pregnant women. Get tips and advice on www.oralb-loveyourgums.com.

*I received a free tube of the toothpaste to review but no payment was received and all opinions are my own.