Did you know it is possible to prevent many dental emergencies or minimize their impact on your oral health? It all comes back to preventive dentistry, including six-month teeth cleanings and exams with your dentist and hygienist.
The first step in any dental emergency is to contact your emergency dentist in Springfield, IL. They will assess your needs, provide instructions for handling the situation, and schedule an appointment for you.
How to Avoid 3 Common Dental Emergencies
Let’s take a look at three of the most common dental emergencies with some suggestions on how to avoid them.
Toothaches
A toothache can turn your life upside down, not to mention the toll it takes on your oral health. Healthy teeth don’t hurt, and if you have a toothache, there’s no point in hoping it will go away on its own. Store-bought pain medication can provide temporary relief, but the pain will return unless your dentist treats the underlying cause.
Avoiding cavities that lead to toothaches requires a team approach. Your goal is to avoid sugary, starchy, or acidic foods, brush and floss every day, and stay current with six-month exams and teeth cleaning. Your dentist can check your teeth carefully for cavities during these appointments and then treat them promptly if necessary.
Broken Teeth
While tooth enamel is incredibly strong, too much force can cause it to crack or break. There’s nothing worse than enjoying a bowl of popcorn and feeling your tooth break when you bite too hard on a kernel.
In some cases, there may have been a hairline fracture that made the tooth more prone to breaking; this is often the case with patients who have a strong teeth-grinding habit.
An obvious way to avoid these scenarios is to pass on foods that can damage your teeth. However, visiting your dentist for exams every six months allows them to look for existing cracks or breaks and address them immediately. If they see signs of teeth grinding or bruxism, they can customize a nightguard to protect your teeth while you sleep.
Lost Filling or Dental Crown
Modern tooth fillings and crowns are durable materials and can last for years, but they have a lifespan. If a crown or filling comes out, it might need to be replaced because of age or underlying decay that has loosened the restoration.
In both cases, routine exams every six months allow your dentist to check the condition of your restorations and the health of underlying teeth. A lost tooth filling needs to be replaced, but a loose crown can often be cemented back in place if the tooth is healthy.
Looking for Emergency Dental Treatment Near Me?
If you have a dental emergency, please call us at (217) 787-0212, so we can schedule you for an appointment and provide the relief you need.