Prevent Emergency Dentist Visits – Most dental emergencies happen due to accidents or trauma, such as getting your tooth knocked out during a sport or having some face injury. While many dental emergencies are sudden and require the help of a local emergency dentist, many of them develop slowly over time, leading up to situations like an abscessed tooth.
Most of the emergencies that belong to the latter can be avoided if only you practice proper dental hygiene.
In this post, we look at ways to prevent dental emergencies.
Table of Contents
Practice Proper Daily Hygiene
One of the most typical causes of gum disease, tooth decay, and infections that can be detrimental to oral health and otherwise also is poor flossing and brushing techniques. Improper brushing techniques lead to a collection of food debris.
Educate yourself on the proper ways to floss and brush every day. If you can do this much, you can easily cut down on the number of dental emergencies in a lifetime. Flossing can be difficult if you wear bridges, braces, or have dexterity issues. In that case, use a threader or a similar floss aid to reach more difficult places.
Pay Special Attention to any Recurrent/Persistent Pain
Pain is generally indicative of an underlying issue that needs your attention, especially if the pain is persistent. If you have a tooth that aches regularly, it’s good to have it investigated. It could signal a possible cavity or a filling that has started to leak.
In some cases, if the pain disappears, you could be tempted to ignore it. But, the problem may have gone too deep. In no time, it could permanently damage the tooth nerves. Therefore, regular checkups are your only bet to have them thoroughly invested and fixed before the problem gets worse.
Maintain Excellent Oral Care
This one may look like a no-brainer, but it’s often the #1 reason for most dental emergencies. Make sure that you –
- Brush and floss regularly
- Get regular checkups and cleanings
- Pay attention to any signs of decay
- Avoid consuming sugary, caffeinated, or too many acidic foods.
If you’re careful, you should spot signs early and nip them in the bud.
Be Careful What You Do With Your Teeth
Your teeth are meant for chewing food only. So, please do not use them for purposes other than what they’re intended for. Human teeth can be exceptionally strong, so at times, it can be tempting to use them for ripping apart plastic, tags, or chewing on hard surfaces. Do not do that. They’re not scissors!
Doing this kind of stuff could easily lead to breaks and chips. Please do not use your teeth for doing things that need a pair of scissors, or it could lead to severe/permanent damage. You may end up with potentially costly emergency trips.
Wear a Mouthguard When Playing Sports
Physical sports are a leading cause of many total national dental emergencies. So, if your children partake in physical sports, both contact and non-contact, be sure to get them a quality mouthguard. Also, make sure they wear it regularly.
Dental injuries on a sports field could cause cracks and chips. They could even knock your whole tooth out. Undergoing restorative treatments could easily cost thousands of dollars over a lifetime.
If possible, go for a customized mouthguard for maximum comfort and ultimate protection. A custom-made guard also encourages easy breathing.
Ensure Hydration
This may seem weird, but hydration is closely connected with your overall physical health and your oral health. In the absence of proper hydration, the human body finds it difficult to produce enough saliva.
Here’s what saliva does –
- It helps to balance the pH level of your mouth
- Saliva carries myriad minerals that offer a protective coating on your teeth which keeps tooth decay at bay
- Saliva helps to wash away food particles, bacteria, and debris, thus helping to maintain your oral health.
Watch What You Eat
There’s nothing like sugar to quicken the pace of tooth decay. Therefore, cutting down on sugar intake is one of the healthiest things you can do for your dental health. When you eat healthy, home-cooked foods, you can substantially reduce the number of appointments and emergency trips to your dentist.
To that end, eat more vegetables and fruits such as baby carrots, celery, and apples. These foods naturally boost saliva production. Fibrous vegetables also act as a natural toothbrush. Additionally, you could try chewing sugar-free gums to increase saliva production, which should neutralize the acid level in your mouth.
Ensure Routine Dental Visits
Ideally, it would help if you visit your North dentist (including pediatric dentists) every 6 months to get regular cleaning and examination performed. There are stubborn buildups of plaque and debris deposits that traditional brushing cannot eliminate. Only a dentist can clean that.
Regular visits can almost guarantee zero gum diseases and cavities. During the examination, a dentist will carefully look for signs of the cavity and other oral health issues. He would accordingly recommend early preventive measures and care.
Bottom Line
As you can see, little things can go a long way when it comes to oral health. Instead of neglecting your dental health/hygiene for years and then suddenly undergoing an effective treatment, it’s better to keep regular tabs on little things such as regular flossing, routine appointments, hydration, and eating right.
There’s nothing like healthy habits to minimize the number of dental emergencies in a lifetime.
