As Learn about our emergency dental services on-call emergency dentists in Salt Lake City, we know a thing or two about emergency dental care, and better yet:
How you can avoid dental emergencies!
Most dental emergency cases we come across are preventable and just so happen to occur at the worst time: vacation, wedding, etc.
So, to help you prevent dental emergencies from happening in your future, we want to share 5 tips on how to avoid dental emergencies.
Most dental emergencies don’t happen overnight. It may feel like it with shooting pain, but typically there are warning signs beforehand.
However:
Without a professionally trained and experienced eye like our Salt Lake City dentists, you might not be able to spot them.
That’s why it’s important to visit your dentist every six months for a regular check-up.
During a dental check-up, your dentist will be able to look for signs of:
- Gum disease – the #1 cause of adult tooth loss.
- Incorrect bite and jaw alignment, which can cause problems beyond your smile.
- Loose crowns or fillings.
- Cracked teeth that could fracture and break.
- Tooth and root decay – if left untreated, it could spread and cause pain and require more dental work.
Catching these signs early can make a world of difference in saving your smile and preventing a dental emergency.
More often than not, patients with healthy teeth and gums do not experience dental emergencies.
So, to keep your teeth and gums healthy, you must practice a good oral hygiene routine. This includes:
- Brushing your teeth twice a day.
- Flossing daily.
- Getting your teeth professionally cleaned every six months.
Now, wait!
Before you roll your eyes because you’ve heard this a million times, listen to these facts on why you cannot skip steps 2 or 3.
By not flossing your teeth, you are missing nearly 40% of your tooth’s cleaning surface – gross.
And without a professional cleaning every six months, the plaque on your teeth will continue to build and harvest ideal conditions for gum disease – plus, plaque buildup makes your teeth look yellow and dull.
If you want to avoid dental emergencies, then we suggest starting with your oral hygiene routine.
“I’ll be fine! That’ll never happen to me.”
Until it does.
We can’t begin to count how many knocked out teeth we’ve seen due to sports-related injuries.
And the worst part:
Many of them could have been prevented with a mouth guard.
According to one up to 39% of all dental injuries are sports-related and males are twice as likely to incur a sports-related dental injury than female.
Moral of the story:
Wear a mouth guard!
Your smile (and wallet) will thank you later.
For a full list of sports that the American Dental Association recommends using a mouth guard.
Foods fuel your body. But they can also fuel decay.
Did you know that soda is closer in acidity to battery acid than water? Yikes!
Acidic drinks and foods can eat away your enamel, leaving your teeth exposed to harmful bacteria and discoloration.
As a general rule of thumb, you should limit or avoid the following things in your diet:
- Chewing ice
- Sugary candy (especially sour candy)
- Carbonated drinks (soda)
- Citrus (lemons, limes, etc.)
- Starchy foods (bread and chips)
- Dried fruit
- Alcohol
If you do consume these “bad” foods or drinks, the next best thing you can do is brush your teeth afterward.
That way, no food or ingredients are left behind to cause mayhem.
Last but not least, the final tip on how to prevent a dental emergency:
Use a bottle opener!
And no, your teeth are NOT a bottle opener.
Similarly, use scissors to open your endless Amazon packages.
Trust us, opening that package or beer is NOT worth damaging your smile.
Our 5 tips to avoid dental emergencies are simple:
- Visit your dentist every six months for a check-up and cleaning
- Maintain a good oral hygiene routine
- Wear a mouth guard when participating in sports
- Avoid harmful foods and drink
- Use a bottle opener, not your teeth
And if an accident does happen and you need an emergency dentist in Salt Lake City, we are here for you!
At Legacy Dental, we offer a 24-hour emergency dental line because we believe pain can’t wait. We will always do our best to help you and offer evening and weekend appointments.
Here is our phone number just in case you need emergency dental care: (385) 446-2942
Some of our emergency dental services include:
- Root canals
- Treatment of chipped or broken teeth
- Replacement of fillings
- Treatment for knocked out or lost teeth
- Extractions
To learn about what to do in a dental emergency, read our recent blog with step-by-step dental emergency instructions!
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in August 2012 and has been completely revamped for comprehensiveness and timeliness.
