Five Ways To Prevent a Dental Dilemma
Good dental hygiene and precautions are essential for healthy teeth and gums. Without them, dental emergencies are more likely to happen to you.
Some of the most common dental emergencies are toothaches, loose teeth, chipped teeth, and abscesses. You’ve probably experienced one of these dental emergencies at some time. You’ll probably take pain relief medications, but you’ll still need to visit your dentist; your dental emergency might cause more problems than you would like.
If you ever encounter a dental emergency, go to a dentist or the emergency room. Putting it off will only make things worse.
What Is Considered a Dental Emergency?
Determining whether you need to see a dentist immediately is crucial; most emergencies can affect your quality of life. The sooner you address them, the better.
Dental emergencies are often characterized by severe pain, trauma to the bone, or uncontrollable bleeding. According to a dentist of South Pasadena, some of the situations that may require emergency dental treatment include:
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Gum injuries
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Lose or damaged fillings
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Broken or chipped teeth
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Toothaches
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Broken orthodontic devices
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Lost or broken crowns
Contact your dentist immediately if you have severe dental problems. Proceed to the hospital immediately If you have severe injuries or are experiencing difficulty breathing or swallowing.
Tips for Handling Dental Emergencies
Unfortunately, some dental emergencies happen, despite doing all you can to
prevent them. Here are some things you can do when they do happen:
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Return a knocked-out permanent tooth to its socket without touching its roots if you can. You may put your tooth between your cheeks and gums or in a cup of milk and head straight to your dentist.
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Clean a chipped tooth with warm water. You can also reduce the swelling by pressing a cold compress on the affected area.
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Clean your lips or tongue with water if you accidentally bite them. You can also apply a cold compress.
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If you have a toothache, don’t reach for the aspirin or pain meds just yet! Try rinsing your mouth with warm water first. You should also check if there is anything stuck between your teeth, like food debris, then use some floss to dislodge it gently.
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Use floss to remove anything stuck in your mouth, and avoid using sharp or pointed objects to get them out.
Can You Prevent a Dental Emergency?
As the saying goes: “Prevention is better than cure.” You can prevent dental emergencies by:
1. Monitoring any changes or pain in your mouth, teeth, gums, and jaw.
You can look for some signs before a situation with your teeth becomes serious. When it does, your dentist should be at the top of your list of people to rush to, especially if you’re experiencing intermittent or severe tooth pain.
Not addressing or neglecting them will make things worse and put you in the dentist’s chair for something much worse than what you started with. Visiting your dentist as soon as possible will help them diagnose your problem faster, make treatments more effective, and give them ample time to refer you to another health professional if it’s too serious.
2. Practice good dental habits.
Simple acts like brushing and flossing are key to your dental health. According to dentists, you should brush your teeth for two minutes in the morning when you wake up and before you go to bed.
Two minutes is enough time to brush all parts of your mouth. You may also use an electric toothbrush; some electric toothbrush brands have timers, but a manual toothbrush will suffice if you don’t have the budget. Just use your phone and set a timer.
3. Replace your toothbrush.
You might feel replacing your toothbrush is unnecessary, especially if your toothbrush still looks great. However, replacing your toothbrush is essential to overall dental health. Dentists recommend replacing your toothbrush every two to three months or when it becomes worn and frayed; otherwise, it becomes ineffective at cleaning your teeth. Don’t compromise your dental health; keep a spare toothbrush in your bathroom or buy a new toothbrush.
4. Pay attention to what you eat.
Frequent snacking increases the acid production in your mouth, attacking your teeth’s enamel and resulting in cavities. These cavities will make your teeth more susceptible to tooth decay.
You don’t have to cut sugar entirely out of your diet, but consume it in controlled amounts. You should also watch the amount of food you eat to reduce the acidity in your mouth.
5. Pay regular visits to your dentist.
The American Dental Association recommends visiting a dentist at least once every six months. These visits will allow your dentist to examine and clean your teeth thoroughly, which will help prevent the development of dental emergencies like toothaches or abscesses. These visits also allow your dentist to check for signs of oral cancer or other conditions that could affect your overall health.
Key Takeaway
Dental emergencies happen, even to the best of us. Fortunately, you can take steps to prevent them, like paying close attention to your mouth and what you consume and sticking to a good oral health care routine.
