A dental or oral emergency can often have significant, long term ramifications. While you can never prevent an injury from happening in your mouth, there are a few basic things to consider to help greatly reduce your chances of suffering one in the future. To aid in this endeavor Dr. Daniel Wood offers up a few basic tips and lifestyle changes worth taking to heart.
You should consider is stocking your first aid kit with a few common oral health care items like waxed floss, salt packets and topical oral analgesic. Having these basic items on-hand will allow you to provide immediate first aid, without having to scramble for supplies.
Curbing bad habits like chewing on pens and pencils, crunching on ice and using teeth as tools, will greatly reduce your chances of suffering chipped tooth. It will also prevent having pieces of these foreign objects stuck between your teeth or in your gums.
Grinding your teeth at night can result in chips, and fractures on the biting surfaces of your teeth. It could even cause TMJ disorder in the joints that hinge your mouth. All of these problems can be easily prevented by simply wearing a night guard while you sleep.
If you participate in contact sports, you should also consider investing in a quality mouth guard.
If you have questions about other ways you can help prevent oral injuries and emergencies, you can always call Dr. Daniel Wood’s office in Twin Falls, Idaho at 208-733-0494 for a consultation.