There may be a time in your life where you may come face-to-face with dental emergencies, forcing you to act quickly. Should this happens, it is important that you know exactly what to do. A quick response combined with the many advances in dentistry will ensure that every dental emergency will be repaired. Here are some tips to help you avoid accidents followed by some ways you can handle emergency situations, all of which are provided by your local emergency dentist in Howard County.
Tips to Help You Avoid Dental Accidents
There are some simple precautions you can take which will help you avoid accident involving teeth. Here are some of the more important ones:
* Wear a mouthguard
* . This is extremely important if you participate in sports, one of the most common reasons for dental emergencies. A mouthguard will protect your teeth, gums, lips, cheeks and tongue from damage.
* Avoid hard candy, popcorn and chewing ice
* . All these foods have the ability to crack your teeth.
* Cut ribbon and other materials with scissors rather than using your teeth
* . Many people have the unfortunate habit of using their teeth to cut things. This can cause problems, including cracks in teeth.
How to Handle Different Emergency Situations
No one likes to be in an emergency situation, but they do arise from time to time. It is important that you know how to respond when you are faced with emergency.
* Chipped or broken teeth
* . Save all the parts you can find. Rinse your mouth with lukewarm water to clean the area. Use cold compresses on the area to reduce swelling and contact your dentist.
* Tooth being “knocked” out
* . The first step is to locate the tooth and then put it in a container of lightly salted water or milk. As soon as you can, go to your dentist. The vast majority of teeth can be repaired an hour after it is knocked out.
* Abscess
* . A dental abscess is a pocket of pus in the tooth, usually caused by an infection. This condition can be very painful and you should call your dentist immediately when it occurs. Antibiotics or a root canal procedure may be necessary to remove the infection.
