Dental emergencies are always unexpected, but that doesn’t mean they’re not preventable! If you want to avoid common issues like cavities, infected teeth, and broken teeth or pulled-out dental work, follow the tips below from Skutak Dental.
Avoiding dental emergencies starts with a healthy mouth. Brush twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste, and floss once per day. In addition, eat a diet low in sugar and processed foods, and avoid sugary drinks. You should also see Dr. Lisa Skutak every six months for a checkup and teeth cleaning.
Not only will this help you avoid cavities and gum disease, but keeping your teeth and gums strong can help prevent your teeth from cracking or breaking if you suffer from a dental injury.
In fact, you should probably stop chewing ice altogether. Because it’s so cold and hard, it could crack or damage your teeth. Other hard foods like almonds and popcorn kernels should be chewed with the rear molars, which are stronger and have a larger surface area than the front teeth. This will prevent accidental damage to your teeth.
Don't chew pens, pencils, your fingernails, or any other non-food object. You shouldn’t use your teeth as “tools,” either. Do not use them to tear open bags or rip tape, or for any purpose other than chewing, or you could damage your smile.
Extremely sticky foods like taffy, caramels, and gummy candy can loosen and pull out dental work like fillings and crowns. This can be very inconvenient, and when you lose a piece of dental work, the vulnerable enamel that’s exposed to oral bacteria can easily become decayed.
Avoid eating these foods if you can, and if you do end up pulling out a crown or filling, schedule an emergency appointment with Dr. Skutak right away to get help.
If you play any kind of contact sport, you should consider getting a custom-fitted sports mouthguard. A mouthguard protects your teeth from direct trauma, and spreads the force of a hard hit across your teeth and gums evenly, preventing teeth from cracking, breaking, or even being knocked out completely.
While one-size-fits-all “boil-and-bite” mouthguards are available (and are better than wearing no protection), a custom sports mouthguard from Skutak Dental will be more comfortable and provide superior protection, so it’s the best choice for protecting your teeth.
If you keep these tips in mind, you can reduce your risk of common dental emergencies including infected teeth, dental injuries from trauma, pulled-out dental work, and more.
But at Skutak Dental, we know that accidents happen. So if you do end up needing emergency dental treatment, we’re here to help with same-day appointments. Contact us now at (715) 355-4433 to schedule immediate care, and get the help you need in Rothschild, Wausau, or Schofield.
