If your stomach hurts after brushing your teeth, it could be because you ingested some toothpaste irritating your stomach or you’re allergic to a particular toothpaste. While other small reasons could be that you drink some beverage before brushing, are pregnant, or have a strong gag reflex. Stomach ache is avoidable and treatable if you suspect yourself being allergic to a specific toothpaste. Seek a suitable form of treatment from your dentist to further maintain your dental health.
Brushing two times a day as a daily routine is essential to have good oral hygiene. But sometimes, brushing our teeth can also be problematic for us.
While usually, people don’t find brushing their teeth troublesome for others, they experience pain in the stomach. Toothpaste allergy is not that common, but it’s not entirely unheard of. Those who suffer from it complain of a stomach ache.
While some people also complain of feeling nauseated and the urge to vomit or feeling of sickness simply after brushing their teeth.
We can’t be giving up on our dental health and need to find the issue to deal with it accordingly. Let’s understand how these reasons come around and what you can do to avoid stomach pain by maintaining your oral hygiene.
Reasons why your stomach hurts after brushing teeth
Toothpaste allergy
You might have recently changed your toothpaste because your previous one wasn’t working wonders for your oral health, like keeping bad breath away. And now, suddenly witnessed a stomach ache after brushing your teeth, then you might want to stop using that toothpaste.
Toothpaste has different ingredients, which can sometimes cause various reactions to other people. You might not even be aware of a hidden allergy until you witness a stomach ache from a particular toothpaste brand.
Many kinds of toothpaste have antimicrobial agents and sodium lauryl sulfate (foaming agent), which could be responsible for causing an allergic reaction.
Apart from this, you could also be allergic to fragrances or flavorings.
The most common flavorings frequently responsible for toothpaste allergies are cinnamon, spearmint, carvone, and anethole. It’s a potential health issue you don’t want to ignore, and seeking suitable treatment for your medical condition is the right thing to do.
Toothpaste consumption
Sometimes we don’t even realize the small amounts of toothpaste we’re regularly consuming.
Toothpaste contains an active ingredient called sodium fluoride, making our teeth more resistant to decay and bacteria that cause cavities. It’s vital to maintain our oral health as it keeps our bad breath away.
It’s completely normal to digest it in small amounts. But it’s a problem if you consume too much fluoride toothpaste in one go or regularly.
It might not be a problem for adults to accidentally ingest a lot of toothpaste unless they’re addicted to it. You need to pay special attention to your children so they don’t swallow toothpaste because it looks colorful and tastes good.
If your child accidentally consumes a lot of toothpaste, they will get an upset stomach. Their stomach will hurt, accompanied by other symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. It’s best to wash their mouth with water thoroughly and immediately seek medical treatment.
Other reasons why your stomach hurts after brushing your teeth
- If you’re habitual of drinking your tea or coffee before brushing your teeth in the morning and later brush your teeth, that could be another reason. Drinking sips of water or glasses of water is fine before brushing.
- It’s also common amongst pregnant women. During this time, morning sickness occurs to a lot of women. As a result, it’s not weird to experience stomach hurt after brushing your teeth. But maintaining a regular cleaning process of your teeth and gums is vital to avoid tooth decay and gum disease.
- Having a sensitive gag reflex is another reason behind stomach aches. The gag reflex is activated because you’re using a big toothbrush or brushing too far down the tongue.
- It could also be psychological. It might have happened with you once, but now your mind must have registered it, and it happens every time you try to brush.
Ways to avoid stomach ache after brushing your teeth
- If you suspect a toothpaste allergy, you can get a patch test done to diagnose it. Several chemicals are placed on the back for 48 hours.
- Digesting toothpaste isn’t advisable. If, as an adult, you’re addicted to it, you need professional help. If your child is digesting toothpaste, you need to watch them while they brush and prevent them from digesting it.
- Avoid drinking tea or coffee before brushing your teeth. It’s also bad for your dental hygiene to eat or drink anything before brushing your teeth in the morning.
- If you have a strong gag reflex, change to a smaller and soft toothbrush or electric toothbrush. Don’t brush too far down your tongue.
- If you have morning sickness, then try to relax and calm down before brushing. Brush slowly and take a quick break in between. Sit down and focus on your breathing and muscles moving when brushing.
FAQs
Why do I get cramps after brushing my teeth?
If you get cramps in your jaw, it’s because there’s the erosion of tooth enamel. Your teeth are in contact with more than necessary sugar or acidic foods, making the enamel wear away. It could also happen if you already suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
It can result in cavities and pain after brushing or flossing, and there’s a risk for tooth decay. Consult with your dentist for further dental treatment.
Is it bad to swallow toothpaste after brushing teeth?
It would be best if you weren’t ingesting a lot of toothpaste as its fluoride is harmful to your stomach. But if you’re consuming a bit of it while brushing, that’s completely fine and shouldn’t cause any issues.
Ingesting toothpaste can cause stomach pain and other problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease.
What do you do if you are allergic to toothpaste?
Allergies to toothpaste will show in the form of rash around the mouth, chapped lips, and an itchy or burning sensation. Severely cracked dry lips are the most common allergic reaction.
Your doctor might suggest applying a low-potency topical steroid (such as over-the-counter hydrocortisone 1% cream) to the affected skin.
To summarize
Your stomach is sensitive, and anything which doesn’t belong there, if consumed, can irritate it. It’s one of the big potential reasons for this stomach pain you feel after brushing.
Maybe the toothpaste you’re currently using isn’t right for you, and you might be allergic to it. Try switching to a more natural ingredient-based toothpaste that will benefit your teeth and stomach.
The stomach ache could also be a result of morning sickness coupled with nausea that pregnant people feel. But you can’t skip on dental hygiene. It’s controllable if you make certain changes to your toothbrush and learn to brush more gently and slowly.
