Common Dental Emergencies During The Holiday
Five Common Dental Emergencies During The Holiday
The holiday season is a time for family, friends, and celebrating. Unfortunately, it’s also a time when dental emergencies seem to happen more often. From eating sticky sweets to playing with hard candy canes, there are plenty of ways to damage your teeth during the holiday season. At High Desert Dental, we want you to be prepared for anything. Here are five common dental emergencies and what you can do to prevent them.
Cavities
Cavities are one of the most common dental problems, and they can happen at any time—not just during the holidays. To prevent cavities, be sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss once a day. You should also avoid sugary drinks and snacks as much as possible and eat a balanced diet. If you do get a cavity, don’t worry! Cavities can be easily treated with fillings.
Chipped or Broken Teeth
Playing sports, eating hard candy, or even biting your nails can put you at risk for chipping or breaking a tooth. To prevent this, always wear a mouthguard when participating in any contact sports and avoid crunching on hard candy or ice cubes. If you do chip or break a tooth, save any pieces of the tooth that you find and rinse your mouth with warm water. Then, call your Grand Junction CO dentist right away. Depending on the severity of the damage, your dentist near you may be able to repair the tooth with bonding or veneers. In more serious cases, you may need a crown or even dental implants.
“We never expect dental emergencies to happen but when they do happen, make sure that you always have your dentist on speed dial”
Knocked-Out Tooth
In some cases, chipped or broken teeth can’t be saved—especially if they’ve been knocked out entirely. Again, this is something that can happen at any time, but it seems to happen more often during the winter months when people are participating in outdoor activities like skiing and snowboarding. If you do find yourself in this situation, try to find the tooth and pick it up by the crown (the part that you see in your mouth), not the root (the part that goes into your gums). If possible, gently place the tooth back into its socket and hold it there with your fingers until you can get to a dentist in Grand Junction CO—don’t save this one for after the holidays! If you can’t put the tooth back in its socket, place it in milk or saliva until you can get to a dentist—again, time is of the essence here. A knocked-out tooth must be re-implanted within an hour for there to be a chance of saving it.
Abscessed Tooth
An abscessed tooth is an infection that has reached the pulp (the center) of the tooth all the way down to the roots. This is usually caused by decay that has gone untreated for too long but can also be caused by trauma to the tooth such as a blow to the mouth or grinding your teeth excessively (a problem we often see during stress-filled times like Christmas!).
Even if you don’t have an abscessed tooth but are experiencing symptoms like severe pain when chewing or drinking hot/cold liquids, sensitivity to temperature changes, swelling in your face or lymph nodes, bad breath that won’t go away no matter how much gum you chew or mints you eat—don’t wait! These could all be signs of an abscessed tooth so call your dentist right away!
Contact High Desert Dental For Emergency Dentistry
The holiday season is upon us which means plenty of good food and family fun. While we all enjoy this time of year, it’s important to be aware of some common dental emergencies that seem to happen more frequently during this festive period. From Cavities to Knocked-Out teeth, being informed and prepared can help minimize any damage done and ensure that you have a happy and healthy holiday season!