Can You Use Regular Mouthwash When Pregnant?

During pregnancy, you might concentrate on everything but your teeth and gums thinking they don’t need any attention. However, do you realize how pregnancy affects your mouth, making you vulnerable to infections like gingivitis that you must prevent at all costs? If you don’t know, you help by discussing the issue with your regular dentist, who might suggest using mouthwash during pregnancy to prevent unnecessary complications.

Pregnancy is undoubtedly an exhilarating time when you think the tiny one in your tummy is the only thing in the world that matters. Therefore, you might think your dental health needs a gap from the everyday abuse you heap on them by eating your favorite foods, drinking harmful beverages, and brushing and flossing them to keep them brighter to complement your smile. However, your situation changes everything because while you remain concerned with your smile, you don’t think about how your teeth and gums are getting affected by the pregnancy hormones in your body, with the potential to create many hassles.

Your oral hygiene practices gain more importance during pregnancy, making it essential for you to seek advice from your dentist and your prenatal care provider on maintaining excellent dental health to keep yourself free from infections that might strike without warning.

Is Mouthwash Use Safe during Pregnancy?

The American Dental Association suggests brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and flossing once regardless of when you do it, without exceptions for dental health when pregnant. The ADA also mentions mouthwash isn’t practical as a replacement as brushing and flossing. Therefore you must maintain your dental hygiene routine by effectively cleaning your teeth using the techniques suggested.

If you are accustomed to purchasing over-the-counter mouthwash brands instead of one prescribed by the dentist near me, you must choose a brand with the ADAs Seal of acceptance, indicating the product is safe and effective.

Which Mouthwash Is Optimal during Pregnancy?

Over-the-counter mouthwash brands are divided into two categories. You can find a variety designed for cosmetic purposes to temporarily control halitosis and taste good than having any health benefits.

You can also find therapeutic mouthwash brands having active ingredients to treat or reduce health issues. The active ingredients in therapeutic mouthwashes include:

• Fluoride to prevent tooth decay.
• Peroxide to whiten teeth.
• Cetylpyridinium chloride for high doses besides essential oils.
• Chlorhexidine to control plaque and gingivitis.

However, chlorhexidine mouthwash brands are only available with a prescription.

The alcohol content in many mouthwash brands is approximately 20 percent. Although you will not swallow the mouthwash, it is unlikely that the alcohol will reach your baby. However, your dentist cautions you against using mouthwashes containing alcohol because they can irritate your gums and destroy the harmful and harmless bacteria in your mouth. In addition, in the long run, these brands might be ineffective. Therefore you must request your dentist recommend a non-toxic alcohol-free mouthwash brand for use during pregnancy.

If you suffer from morning sickness and throw up constantly, you can consider using mouthwash after throwing up. The vomit covering your teeth with stomach acids erodes tooth enamel making it essential for you to seek protective remedies such as a fluoride rinse to safeguard your teeth and freshen your breath. However, you must ensure you don’t brush your teeth soon after throwing up because your weakened tooth enamel can sustain damage from the abrasive ingredients in the toothpaste.

Practical Steps for Using Mouthwash during Pregnancy

If you intend to use mouthwash during pregnancy, you must ensure you follow some practical steps mentioned below for your and your baby’s safety. The effective steps are:

• Mouthwash brands all have instructions for use on the label. Follow them stringently because some might recommend rinsing before brushing and others recommend doing so after brushing.
• Mouth rinses work best when you swish them in your mouth for 30 seconds before spitting them out.
• If using mouthwash at night, ensure that you don’t have anything after rinsing before getting into bed.
• When using mouthwash at other times during the day, do not brush, floors, eat, drink or rinse with water for a minimum of 30 seconds because it can reduce the effectiveness of the product.

If you are pregnant, you benefit by inquiring with Breckenridge Dental Group whether you can use mouthwash or seek recommendations for a specific product by contacting them or arranging an appointment for the advice.