While you can’t prevent all oral emergencies from happening there are a few tips and lifestyle habits you can adopt to help prevent some common oral emergencies. At the very least you will be better prepared for an oral emergency when and if it does happen.
Try to work on breaking bad habits like chewing on pens and pencils or crunching on ice. This also extends to using your teeth as tools. Any one of these things can cause chips, cracks and fractures in tooth enamel.
If you participate in contact sports, you should talk to your dentist about being fitted for a custom mouth guard. These mouthpieces are designed to be comfortable and allows for easy breathing while playing sports.
Grinding your teeth at night on a regular basis it can cause chips, and fractures the biting surfaces of your teeth. It could even cause TMJ disorder in the joints that hinge your mouth. Your dentist can fit you for a custom night guard, designed to fit comfortably into your mouth, allowing you to sleep easy and prevent further damage.
You should also consider stocking your first aid kit with a few common oral health care items like waxed floss, salt packets and topical oral analgesic. Keeping this items readily at hand will help you be prepared for some common oral emergencies.
If you have questions regarding things you can do to reduce the chances of suffering an oral injury or dental emergency, please feel free to call John F. Lann, DDS - Round Rock TX Dentist at 512-255-1025 to schedule an appointment.