Now that spring is here and summer is around the corner, many people are playing full contact sports. For kids and adults alike, this could lead to dental emergencies, such as cracked, chipped, or knocked-out teeth. Which is why in today’s blog, your Sunny Smiles team talks about our approach to emergency dental care.
Mouthguards
First: If you or your child play full contact sports or martial arts, consider talking to us about a mouthguard. We can create a custom athletic mouthguard that you can wear, providing an extra layer of protection against injuries to your teeth. These tend to be more effective than boil-and-bite options. If you can’t make an appointment for a custom option, please wear a store bought one regardless, any level of protection is better than nothing, and you can lower your risk of dental injury!
When to Seek Treatment
When you sustain an injury to your tooth that breaks or chips one, try to recover any pieces and bring them in a sealed container. Contact our office, even outside of normal business hours, and we will arrange a time to see you quickly to offer treatment. In the meantime, you can use a piece of cloth or gauze to stem any bleeding and a cold compress to control facial swelling. An over-the-counter pain reliever is also effective. If a tooth is knocked-out, then be sure you pick it up by the crown, never touch the root, and place it in a sealed container of milk or salt water, and bring it with you so we can restore it to its proper place in your smile. if you can’t place it in a container of milk or salt water, try to set it back into the gap and bite down gently to hold it in place.
Protecting Your Smile
Along with wearing a mouthguard, you should consider maintaining good oral hygiene, which helps keep your enamel strong and limit the risk of injury. You should brush and floss daily, enjoy a healthy diet, and see our team for checkups and cleanings every six months! If you do sustain an injury, we may be able to restore it in one visit with dental bonding, or we could create a custom crown to address more severe damage. If a tooth is lost completely and you can recover it, we could secure options like bridges or dental implants to restore your smile.
If you have any questions about addressing dental emergencies, then contact our team today to learn more. We want to help you enjoy your best possible smile!
LEARN MORE ABOUT EMERGENCY DENTISTRY
If you have any questions about handling dental emergencies, or would like to schedule an appointment, call Sunny Smiles Family Dentistry in El Paso, TX, today at 915.759.7000.