Top Tips for Preventing Dental Emergencies

Last updated 8 months ago

A dental emergency refers to an injury to the teeth, gums, cheeks, tongue, or lips. Examples of common dental emergencies include dislodged teeth and avulsed or completely knocked out teeth. While your emergency dentist can provide immediate treatment for many of these injuries it is important to educate yourself on the ways you can prevent dental emergencies.

Maintain Your Oral Health
Properly brushing and flossing your teeth on a daily basis helps to keep your teeth strong—reducing the chances of enamel deterioration and cavities. Maintaining your oral health also reduces your risk of damage, as teeth that have become weakened or decayed are at a greater risk for chips, fractures, and breakage.

Avoiding Chewing on Hard Objects
Chewing or biting hard objects increases your risk of breaking or chipping a tooth. Help prevent dental emergencies by avoiding chewing on hard objects such as ice cubes, popcorn kernels, hard candies, pencils, pens, and your fingernails.

Don’t Open Objects With Your Teeth
Many individuals use their teeth to open things when they should be using scissors. Unfortunately, this not only increases the risk of damage to your teeth but can also lacerate your gums, cheeks, tongue, or lips.

Wear a Mouth guard
Individuals who play sports or participate in other physical activities should invest in a mouth guard. This includes those who play soccer, hockey, basketball, baseball, wrestling, lacrosse, and other contact sports. While you can buy mouth guards at many sporting stores, a cosmetic dentist can offer customized mouth guards that are designed to fit the exact contours of your teeth for maximum protection.

Prevent a Dental Emergency
By having regular checkups and cleanings, it can help identify any dental problems earlier than usual. By taking care of them sooner rather than later you can avoid pain, time, and additional or significant cost when it comes to your dental bills.

Here at Cascade Dental, our emergency dentists offer a number services and procedures to fit your needs. Learn more about our general dentistry and cosmetic dentistry services by contacting our Vancouver office at (360) 213-1999. We also offer dental implants and children’s dentistry services.