What is a dental emergency?
A dental emergency is any dental problem that requires immediate attention from a dentist. This can include:
- Severe or persistent toothache that can’t be addressed with over-the-counter pain medications
- Severe swelling on your face or in your mouth
- Knocked out, chipped or broken teeth
- Lost crowns or fillings
- Cuts to the lip or tongue
Any of these could result in tooth pain, discomfort, or damage that needs to be treated right away by a dentist.
How can I avoid dental emergencies?
How can we avoid having a dental emergency now that we understand what it is? Even though dental emergencies can occur for a variety of reasons and despite our best efforts, we can always take precautions to lower the likelihood that we will hurt our gums, teeth, or jaw.
Use your teeth for chewing food only.
Unrelated to chewing food, many of us also use our teeth to open packages, bite our nails, and perform other tasks. However, doing so puts your teeth, as well as your inner cheeks, lips, and gums, at risk of injury, making it simple to chip or otherwise damage them.
Take the extra time to find the appropriate tools such as scissors, and save your teeth for chewing food.
Wear a sports mouthguard.
Do you engage in any physically demanding, high-impact sports or activities? These can be risky because you run the risk of impacts to the head, face, or neck, even though they're great for getting your heart rate up and keeping you physically active.
These blows can easily result in significant injuries that lead to dental emergencies. To avoid these scenarios, always wear a custom-made mouthguard to protect your teeth and mouth against any injury.
Cut back on sugary foods.
Everybody enjoys snacks, and a late-afternoon sugar rush can be very alluring. However, sugar contributes to the formation of plaque and bacteria, which exacerbates gum disease and increases the risk of dental emergencies such as tooth decay and cavities. Other foods, such as hard candy and popcorn kernels, can also be dangerous.
Next time you’re at the grocery store, stock up on crunchy vegetables such as carrots to snack on and healthier soft foods such as yogurt. After a few weeks of avoiding the hard, chewy sugary foods, you’ll hardly notice their absence from your diet - and your teeth will thank you.
Maintain an excellent oral hygiene routine at home.
Preparation and routine care are important components of preventing dental emergencies. Tooth decay or uncomfortable cavities can occasionally cause dental emergencies.
Maintaining a rigorous oral hygiene routine can reduce the chances of these. Remember to brush twice daily for two minutes each time and floss at least once per day.
Visit your dentist regularly.
Regular dental checkups and cleanings are necessary to maintain a routine for oral hygiene. They not only clean your teeth with tools designed for professionals, but they can also spot problems with your teeth early on, saving you from dental emergencies.
