Five Tips For Preventing Dental Emergencies

If you've ever had a severe toothache or fallen and knocked out a tooth, you know how painful such dental emergencies can be. In addition, a neglected toothache can turn into an abscess and possibly lead to an infection that requires hospitalization. While it's impossible to guarantee that you'll never experience a dental emergency, there are a number of easy things you can do to decrease the likelihood of one occurring.

Preventing a dental emergency

1. Avoid chewing ice and hard candy. Crunching ice and hard candy is a leading cause of broken and chipped teeth. Better to leave the ice in the glass and let the candy dissolve gradually in your mouth.

2. Take measures to prevent slips and falls. Slips and falls contribute to a large number of dental emergencies each year. Some easy things to do to prevent such accidents include tacking down small throw rugs, avoiding putting items on the stairs (to take up later) and keeping toys for kids and pets picked up.

3. Wear a mouthguard while playing sports. You don't have to be playing a high-contact sport to suffer a dental injury. A simple elbow to the mouth can cause a person to lose a tooth. For more physical sports, such as football and soccer, a dentist can design a high-impact mouthguard that fits securely and protects the teeth.

4. Remember that your teeth are not tools. You can replace a pair of scissors much more easily than you can replace a tooth. Therefore, it makes more sense to use the scissors to open that bag of chips or packet of soy sauce than to use your teeth. That kind of impact can cause you to chip a tooth or cause bonding to become unattached.

5. See your dentist regularly. Of course, keeping up with your twice-yearly preventative dental visits can help him or her to catch potential dental emergencies before they become severe. For instance, a small cavity can be easily filled to avoid a painful abscess or cracked tooth later on. 

If, despite your best efforts, you or someone you care about chips a tooth, falls and knocks out a tooth or has a severe toothache, prompt dental attention is necessary. A good emergency dental clinic can both relieve the pain and correct the source. For loose or knocked out teeth, prompt action can often save the tooth. For more information on emergency dental work, check out a website like http://www.nwidentist.com/.

Share