28 Apr How To Prevent a Dental Emergency
In our last post, we shared some of the common types of dental emergencies. Of course, preventing emergencies in the first place is always preferable! Here are some tips from our Team at Hicks Dental Group in Prescott on how to prevent a dental emergency while we are closed for routine and preventative care. We are of course here for emergency dental care if you need us!
Keep up with good oral care
The best way to avoid painful and costly dental emergencies is to make sure you are practicing good and consistement oral hygiene. Regular brushing and flossing will keep your mouth clean and prevent cavities that can lead to serious complications. We all learned about oral hygiene as children, but for many of us, the learning stopped there. Check out this post from last month to brush up on the basics.
Protect your smile
Teeth are not tools. It may seem easier to open things like bottles and snack packages with your teeth. But this will cause the enamel to weaken over time and could cause cracking or damage to the teeth. This is especially hard for kids to remember. Remind children to ask for help when opening things like snack packages.
Wear a mouthguard. Accidents can happen in the flash of an eye, even if you are just horsing around with the kids. If you have a mouthguard, be sure to use it during any rough play. This is especially important for kids, who may be more likely to damage newly developed adult teeth. Additionally, if you grind your teeth at night, be sure to wear a mouthguard. Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is often caused by stress and can lead to chipping or cracking of the teeth.
Chew carefully. Sticky substances like caramel and taffy cling to tooth enamel and lead to tooth decay. They can also pull out fillings, so try to avoid these candies, especially right now. Ice and hard candy can lead to cracked or chipped teeth, which are painful and expensive to fix. If you’re enjoying a hard candy let it dissolve naturally, rather than chewing it. Again, the best option is to avoid these items altogether as ice can also cause sensitivity, and hard candies contribute to tooth decay.
Say no to sugar
This wouldn’t be a proper dental blog if we didn’t remind you about the dangers of sugar! We understand the temptation to indulge—we all do it! But the problem with sugar and your oral health is that your mouth is filled with bacteria that feeds on sugar. This process creates harmful acid, which causes cavities. This acid is powerful enough to eat through your tooth’s enamel, the hardest substance in the body!
If you must enjoy a few sweets, just remember to brush after the meal or rinse your mouth with water. The water will flush the sugar and food debris from your teeth before it has a chance to cause too much damage.
Give us a call if you need us!
We hope these tips on how to prevent a dental emergency are helpful while we are closed for routine dental cleanings. Our team at Hicks Dental Group in Prescott looks forward to meeting all of your dental needs again soon. In the meantime, stay healthy and safe and be sure to give us a call if you are experiencing any pain or bleeding.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (4/30/20). Photo by Kari Bjorn Photography on Unsplash.