How to Prevent a Dental Emergency – Fort Worth, TX
Useful Tips Everyone Should Know
When it comes to dental emergencies, they aren’t exactly something you spend a lot of time thinking about until they occur. Thankfully, most dental emergencies can be avoided if you simply keep a few key habits in mind. While it’s impossible to avoid 100% of dental emergencies, you can take the right steps to dramatically reduce your risk. Learn how from Dr. Kelly Blair yourself or ask her any questions you may have during your next appointment!
Avoiding Broken Teeth
Teeth are incredibly tough, but that doesn’t mean they are indestructible. In reality, they can break or chip if they come into contact with materials they shouldn’t be. For example, while it may be a relaxing habit to suck on and chew ice cubes, they can easily damage teeth when doing so. Furthermore, you should never use your teeth as a tool, whether it’s to open a recently delivered package or remove a cap from a bottle.
Be Careful What You Eat
While healthy teeth are capable of breaking down most foods with relative ease, they can still chip or crack when eating certain foods. For example, if you happen to haphazardly eat popcorn and a kernel finds its way into your mouth, biting down on it can cause quite a bit of discomfort (and even leave your tooth cracked afterwards!) Additionally, you might want to avoid eating foods that are known for damaging teeth or removing restorations, such as toffee, hard candy, taffy, and gummies.
Get Some Added Protection
Do you find yourself playing contact sports very often? Do these sports include football, basketball, hockey, baseball, boxing, and karate, all of which have a severe risk for high impact? If so, you’ll need to make sure you have the right protective gear to enjoy them safely, especially a mouthguard. Custom solutions are generally more effective than store-bought options and tend to last longer on average. Additionally, if you grind and clench your teeth at night, you should get a custom nightguard as well to protect your enamel.
Maintain Excellent Oral Hygiene
Outside of physical injuries while playing sports, most dental emergencies occur as a result of poor oral hygiene. When you brush twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste, floss at least once a day, and maintain routine visits to our office for an exam and cleaning every six months, you’re doing everything you need to prevent plaque and tartar from causing damage to your smile and putting you at higher risk of developing cavities and decay.