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When it comes to oral health, prevention is key. For a start, you need to maintain good dental practices and keep up with your dentist appointments to ensure your teeth are protected from harm at all times. You also need to watch what you eat and how you use your teeth.
The Madison Family Dental Group is always here for you in the event of a dental emergency. However, it is important that you take a proactive approach towards protecting your teeth. The following are more steps you can take to prevent an unforeseen situation:
Practice Caution When Eating Hard Foods
Cracking a tooth can be debilitating and painful. Unfortunately, it could happen to anyone at any time, which means you must be cautious when eating hard foods. This includes everything from crusty pizza to hard candy. It is also important to note that you are at a higher risk of cracking your tooth if it is already damaged from decay.
When eating hard foods, take your time and bite smaller pieces. You can also avoid them altogether, especially if they cause you discomfort.
Use a Mouth Guard
Sporting injuries are one of the most cited causes of chipped, broken, and missing teeth. If you play a contact sport such as football or basketball, you should wear a mouthguard. Doing so protects your teeth from trauma, which could lead to a dental emergency. You can get a custom-made mouthguard from your dentist.
Go for Regular Dental Checkups
Your relationship with your dentist is crucial to your oral health. By making and honoring your dentist appointments, you allow your dentist to keep track of your teeth. They can spot a problem early and treat it before it results in a dental emergency. They can also catch early signs of bad habits such as teeth grinding, which are often unconscious.
Avoid Using Your Teeth as Tools
You have probably used your teeth as tools at some point and thought nothing of it. Used them to open a soda bottle, tighten an office pin, or tear into a piece of string. Regardless of how you do it, using your teeth in this way exposes them to undue stress. It also increases your risk of chipping a tooth or harming your gums.
Break Your Bad Habits
Most dental bad habits are done subconsciously. Common examples include chewing your nails, pencils, and pain caps, all of which could harm your teeth. If you find yourself practicing these habits, you can find ways to avoid them and protect your teeth. Instead of pencils, you could chew sugarless gum. You could also ensure your nails are trimmed at all times.
Get Immediate Help When You Need It
Taking these steps to protect your teeth can save you from untold pain. No one wants to be rushed to the dentist in the middle of the night with an inflamed tooth. That said, nonetheless, accidents do happen, which is where emergency care comes in.
If you experience a dental emergency, you shouldn’t suffer alone. Shiva Salehi, DDS, and her team provide a wide range of emergency dental services. To learn more or schedule an appointment, you can contact them online or through a phone call.
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