Pregnant, gums in awful shape, but brushing now makes me retch -- any suggestions?

Question

Would like to visit my dentist, but -- no idea how to handle a dental appointment if my own toothbrush and floss leave me dry heaving. My gums are prone to bleeding, a bit sore, almost itchy.

Any ideas?

(And, yeah -- I am still brushing and flossing. Just with interruptions. My teeth and gums were in great shape until quite recently.)

Answer 1

I had the same problem. For me, the minty taste of any toothpaste or mouthwash made me sick, too, so I resorted to children's toothpaste (I can't believe I tolerated that sickeningly sweet fruity flavor better than mint) and one of the Listerine "citrus" mouthwashes. That did help me; for whatever reason mint made things worse.

Unfortunately, you really should bite the bullet and go see your dentist. I am sure you won't be the first patient to show up under such circumstances. Aside from your current discomfort, gum disease and dental issues generally can pose a risk for your baby/pregnancy, and do increase the risk of preterm labor.

I think you may have to experiment to see what, if anything, makes toothbrushing more tolerable for you -- full stomach, empty stomach, mint flavor, fruity flavor, smaller toothbrush...etc. If you're brushing your tongue, is that triggering the retching? (For me that was especially problematic, so I had to play around with that action to see what made it better, too.) Perhaps also try brushing more frequently but for shorter periods of time.

I don't know what advice to give about the itching -- for that alone I would definitely call your dentist, but also speak to your OB, in case it's something pregnancy related.

Good luck.

Answer 2

You do need to see your dentist, if nothing else than asking for suggestions. The itchy gums sound like something is wrong.
I've never had any more problems with brushing while pregnant, because brushing makes me gag every time anyway. The same thing goes with my eleven year old. I do have some suggestions. I keep a glass of water right beside me on the sink, and when things start to go the wrong way, I spit and then take a drink of water to get things going in the right direction. Don't use more than a pea sized bit of toothpaste. The action of the brush is more important than the paste. For my son, it's so bad that he uses toddler toothpaste (that's safe to swallow, no harsh mint taste) and brushes the outside of his teeth first, around both sides, top and bottom, and his front teeth. His gag reflex is triggered when the brush touches his tongue, so he brushes the inside surfaces last and as quickly as possible, also chased down with water. I hope this helps! Blessings

Answer 3

I had the same problem. I found 2 things worked for me....Wait until after you have had something to eat before you brush....Make it that last possible thing you do before you leave the house.
And
Don't look in the mirror while brushing. I don't know why it works,but it did ( for me)
You really should visit your dentist. Explain the issue to them, they can probably help. Pregnancy is really hard on the gums.

Answer 4

Just make sure to listerine daily. That way if you miss or it hurts too much that day, you have the listerine to burn a hole in anything stupid enough to grow in your mouth! I hate that strong stuff, but it does help. One other suggestion, have you tried a child's size brush? The bristles might be softer than what you are using.

Answer 5

You need to see a dentist, like now. You have a gum disease and an infection can affect the baby to be. You'll have to overcome your gag reflex to save your teeth and have a healthy baby.

Answer 6

Use mouthwash and gum gel, such as Corsodyl.

Answer 7

keep brushing and flossing