Emergency-Proof Your Smile: Essential Tips for Dental Safety

Dental emergencies are a fairly common occurrence. From slips and falls to sports contact and traffic accidents, your teeth are at risk virtually everywhere you are. While you can’t stop accidents from happening, you can prepare for them and limit the impact they’ll have.

If you want to prepare your mouth for the worst, continue reading. Below are several oral health strategies you can use to help prevent dental emergencies.

1. Practice Good Oral Hygiene

The best way to prevent dental emergencies is to keep your mouth clean and healthy. By brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing on the regular you can avoid a lot of pitfalls. Bacterial plaque that builds up as you eat food is the primary culprit for cavities and gum disease. Avoiding these by cleaning your teeth eliminates a lot of potential dental issues.

2. Create an Emergency Kit

If you have an accident, or if a dental emergency rears its ugly head, you should have a kit on hand to deal with it. Keep a small kit in your purse, backpack, or car and fill it with small dental items like:

• Dental floss
• A small tube of benzocaine gel such as Origel
• Sterile gauze
• A small bottle of salt water
• Ziploc Baggies
• Travel-sized toothbrush and toothpaste

With these items, you’ll be able to cover a wide range of dental emergencies. Use the salt water to rinse your mouth or keep a knocked-out tooth in. Ziplocs can carry chipped pieces of tooth. Gauze can stop bleeding, floss can remove debris, and the benzocaine gel can numb toothaches.

3. Watch Your Diet

The number one enemy of teeth is sugar, number two is starch. Diets that consist of large quantities of both can spell disaster for your tooth enamel and your gums. Try to include fibrous veggies in your diet as they can clean your teeth while you chew.

You should also limit your sugar intake and avoid heavy starches like white bread and pasta. Opt for whole grains when you can as an alternative.

4. Wear a Mouthguard

If you or a child play sports, a mouthguard is a must. You can save thousands of dollars in dental bills by investing in a high-end guard and keeping it clean. Even if you don’t play sports, you may grind your teeth at night or as a habit. There are guards available for this purpose as well. The goal is to prevent damage to your teeth when possible.

5. Find a Good Dentist

Finally, make sure you’re already registered with a good dentist. Nothing can be more frustrating than needing emergency treatment and having to find an office to go to last minute or filling out forms. If you’re traveling, it’s a good idea to look ahead to see if you can go to a dentist in the area if something should happen.

With these strategies, you can have peace of mind when it comes to dental emergencies. The biggest difference between a successful survivalist and an unsuccessful one is planning. Without it, all that is left is panic. If you still haven’t found a good dentist, reach out today. You never know when may need it.

About the Author

Dr. DawnMarie DiGrazia loves helping her patients regain their beautiful smiles. Her passion is forming lasting bonds to help patients take care of their oral health for their whole lives. Dr. DiGrazia earned her dental doctorate at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and has been honing her skills ever since. She uses the latest dental technology to make your experience comfortable and convenient. To schedule an appointment at Somerset Dental Arts, call (908) 722-2999 or visit the website to learn more.