Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Weird issue with brushing teeth!

29 replies

LKH27 · 25/04/2019 14:27

Hi everyone,

I've discovered that I really don't like my mint toothpaste (even though it is the least minty one I can find as don't like mint generally).
I thought it was the smell as I was gagging every time I brushed my right side.
I swapped to a different flavour toothpaste, but still gag every time I brush my teeth, to the point I can only last about a minute brushing and it never seems very thorough.
I have emetophobia (fear of feeling/being sick) and anxiety as well and so this makes it all worse!

Anyone else experienced this? Will it get better?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

NeverTalksToStrangers · 25/04/2019 14:30

I kinda had this with ds1. We spent a few days in Austria when I was pg and every single time I brushed my teeth there I immediately vomited. It was bizarre. Something about the water made me throw up immediately. Can't have been the toothpaste as i used it before and after.

Teddybear45 · 25/04/2019 14:48

Baby toothpaste. I think you can get fruit flavours.

Megan2018 · 25/04/2019 14:52

I have had actual vomiting when brushing my teeth (or trying to) day and night throughout my pregnancy so far. Currently 20wks. I'm afraid it has not got better!
The only other time I am sick is from certain smells. I have no other nausea or sickness.

So whilst I have got away quite lightly with symptoms, this one is really frustrating. I was due for the dentist this month but we've had to postpone as there is no way I can go through with it!

Daffodil2018 · 25/04/2019 14:55

Is it not more likely to be the action of putting your toothbrush in your mouth that makes you gag rather than the toothpaste? Could you try an electric toothbrush? They have smaller heads and you may find it less likely to make you gag

Dee20 · 25/04/2019 15:00

If it’s the taste/texture you could try Oranurse adult toothpaste. You can buy it on amazon. It’s flavourless and doesn’t foam but has the correct fluoride in it. While better than nothing, babies/children’s toothpaste won’t be strong enough for adult teeth. :-)

Disfordarkchocolate · 25/04/2019 15:03

I was sick every time I brushed my teeth for the last half of my pregnancy. My dentist recommended a low foam toothpaste and I could last long enough to do my teeth.

Original poster

LKH27 · 25/04/2019 15:09

I have swapped to a strawberry flavoured toothpaste. It's Colgate. Don't think it says children's but with that flavour I'm assuming it is. I know it won't protect as well, but better than nothing. Well I thought I would eliminate the smell first as I was quite averse to a lot of smells in the beginning.
I do think it is the action, but wondering why it is one side only. It's mainly going to the top. I'm not excessive with it or brush hard etc. I try and do it really carefully and different techniques to prevent the gagging but nothing seems to work.
Will maybe look into the electric toothbrush. Hadn't thought of that. The head of my toothbrush is quite small anyway (compared to my partners)but reckon that's the next step.

Thank you for all of your replies. Glad I'm not the only one !

OP posts:

12pinkchairs · 25/04/2019 15:10

Brushing my teeth in the morning is a massive sickness trigger for me in pregnancy. I'm sick most mornings from it 😢

Ohyesiam · 25/04/2019 15:11

Health food shop toothpaste is not so foamy and really stopped the morning vomiting for me.

Seeline · 25/04/2019 15:15

I had this with my first pg - often actually threw up - but did have really bad morning (24/7) sickness.
It was the actual putting hte toothbrush in that set me off.

Bizarrely 17 years later it still makes me gag and it never bothered me before.

SoHotADragonRetired · 25/04/2019 15:18

I always gagged and sometimes threw up when brushing my back teeth in early pregnancy. V normal. Stopped in second trimester. Just do whatever helps whether it's change brush or paste, brush very carefully, etc.

daphine2004 · 25/04/2019 15:23

I had this all the time. Apparently is really common. My dentist said to just try and brush and floss if able.

Do the best you can. Even I a few seconds a few times a day is better than nothing.

magicnumber8 · 25/04/2019 16:07

This might sound weird, but I found something that helped with this! Brushing my teeth for the first 18 weeks made me really gag, and I was often sick. It wasn't the toothpaste causing it - it was the sensation of having something near the back of my mouth/tongue.

I read on the internet that humming/singing (sort of a haaaa-haaaa-haaaaa sound!) whilst brushing would help. I tried it, feeling very skeptical, but it did make a difference. I could brush a lot longer and gagged a lot less. Don't know if it was because it was a distraction, or because it changed the position of my jaw - but it's worth a go!!

Megan2018 · 25/04/2019 16:13

I've tried all the toothpastes, electric and normal brushes. It is the mere action of opening mouth and touching back teeth that does it. I can brush the fronts with my teeth clamped together but that's about it.

It has got marginally less bad at 20 weeks but still an issue. But I don't have emetophobia so often I just let the vomit happen and then carry on. Grim but necessary.

My poor teeth were in fabulous condition before this!

snowflakeeel · 25/04/2019 17:21

YES! it's bizarre isn't it. I get this when i'm pregnant too. So glad to hear this just isn't me. I have to say I do the same a @Megan2018, brush, vomit, carry on. I purchase some LUSH mouthwash tabs, small and portable, I'd pop one in a few times a day at work when I visit the loo, just to refresh.

MissPollyHadADolly19 · 25/04/2019 17:49

I had this but it was the tooth brush that caused me to be sick! Eased off at around 17wks.

Original poster

LKH27 · 26/04/2019 07:57

@magicnumber8 that's a good idea! I might have to try it this morning.

Thank you to everyone who has replied. I didn't realise it was quite as common/normal as this.
I do think it's more to do with putting the toothbrush in my mouth as most of you have said. Its definitely the back teeth at the top which are the trigger.
Just a case of powering through and hope it eases off as time goes on! Or that my teeth don't fall out haha.

OP posts:

HoneyPea · 26/04/2019 08:41

I had this at the beginning, first 27 or so weeks and would be sick every morning. But was also sick multiple times a day as well (32 weeks now and I can finally give them a quick brush) Dentist recommended children's toothpaste as it's not as strong or frothy and said it was better to simply mouthwash after each time I was sick. He cleaned mine and didn't mind when I was sick on him 🤣 🤢 and has asked me to go back and have them cleaned again!

eightoclock · 26/04/2019 23:58

I had this too. Better after about 22 weeks. I just brushed the front ones for a while.

SpeedofaSloth · 27/04/2019 00:04

It could be the foaming agent SLS/ sodium laureth sulphate. Not all toothpastes contain it. I use Corsodyl happily now, as it does not foam so I don't gag on it (mostly). My youngest is 5, it never went away.

faelavie · 27/04/2019 00:14

I have some Tesco children's toothpaste in "strawberry ice cream" flavour, and it has exactly the same amount of fluoride as my usual Sensodyne.... Sooo don't always assume kids toothpaste won't be as good, people!

I hate brushing my teeth since getting pregnant. I used to gag before but now it's awful and mint toothpaste definitely makes it worse.

Scunnered77 · 27/04/2019 00:15

I had this with both my pregnancies 18 and 15 years ago. Unfortunately it has never went away I am sick every morning when I brush...Yuck.

Mrsmummy90 · 27/04/2019 00:25

In the first trimester I gagged every time I brushed and I found that children's toothpaste helped.

My DH is a dentist and he had a rep come in with samples of a flavourless toothpaste a couple of weeks ago. I'll ask him if he remembers the name of it (in the morning when he's awake lol).

Spargle · 27/04/2019 05:17

When I had trouble with this, I switched to children’s toothpaste (won’t switch back until the baby is born), and started by brushing the least sensitive bit. For me, the taste was the worst bit, so I started further away from my tongue and moved in.

As soon as the taste became too much, I rinsed out and continued without toothpaste. As soon as it was clear I couldn’t take any more brushing, I stopped, even if I wasn’t finished.

I took to using Listerine children’s mouthwash afterwards - this is for people who aren’t necessarily very good at brushing their teeth, and I find that it mostly keeps my gums in good condition (although the toothpaste I have right now is pink, so I’m not 100% sure right now!). If I don’t use the mouthwash for a couple of days, my gums start bleeding. It is mint flavoured, but I personally just needed to avoid strong mint flavours - the mild ones are fine for me. You can look for a different flavour of children’s mouthwash if that suits you better.

Someone suggested that health food shop toothpaste might be good for you. When I’m not pregnant, I adore the Kingfisher fennel toothpaste with fluoride in. Didn’t want to give myself an aversion to my favourite, so I’ve avoided it very carefully since then, but I can recommend that brand in general, if you want to try something different out. I think it’s SLS-free. Make sure you buy one with fluoride in, though - if you’re not able to brush properly it’s even more important to have that protection!

Rubberduckies · 27/04/2019 08:21

I threw up after brushing my teeth for ages.... I found that it was slightly better if I had breakfast and brushed my teeth straight after that. If it failed it was more comfortable to throw up toast than stomach acid... I used a lot of mouthwash in the first trimester.....

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread