Dentists and doctors recommend pregnant women pay especially close attention to oral hygiene during pregnancy to avoid pain and infection. Even so, there are certain causes of toothache during pregnancy that many women can’t avoid. Among those causes include an increased hormone level, growing wisdom teeth, and a decrease in important nutrients. Fortunately, pregnant women typically have several safe toothache remedies to choose from, including natural pain management, certain medications, and even dental procedures. Whether you choose natural or medical ways to treat a toothache during pregnancy, be sure to consult both your dentist and your doctor.
Before prescribing medication or suggesting you undergo any dental procedures, your dentist might suggest several natural remedies for a toothache. One natural way you can treat a toothache while pregnant is to crush cloves between your teeth or soak a cotton ball in clove oil and allow the oil to saturate the area. Other natural remedies for a toothache include applying a warm or cool compress, rinsing the mouth with warm salt water, and applying a baking soda paste to the affected tooth and gums. Even though these remedies are considered natural, you must talk with your dentist and doctor before trying any of them. Some of them might include ingredients you’re allergic to or that can be harmful to unborn babies.
If natural toothache remedies don’t work, your dentist might recommend you try treating a toothache with medicated options. Some women who experience toothache during pregnancy can use certain over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen. Others have more luck with or feel safer using certain kinds of medicated tooth gel. If an infection accompanies the pain, your dentist might consider certain antibiotics for a toothache. Some antibiotics are considered safe for pregnant women to use.
Generally, a dentist will view a dental procedure during pregnancy as a last resort. This is because he can’t always X-ray your tooth, so he might not know for sure if the reason for the toothache requires immediate work. Still, both your doctor and dentist understand that the constant pain and stress of having a toothache during pregnancy and any accompanying infection can negatively impact your pregnancy and your baby. This is why they might recommend certain dental treatments during pregnancy if the toothache can’t be managed with natural therapies or other safe toothache remedies. Most likely, your dentist will use an anesthesia to numb your mouth for the procedure and then recommend you manage the after pain with a mild toothache medication, such as acetaminophen, or a natural remedy.