Even if you love visiting your dentist, their office is probably the last place you want to be during your holiday vacation. While dental emergencies aren’t completely avoidable, when you take preventive measures, you can reduce the chance that you or a family member will experience one. Read on for five tips to keep you out of your emergency dentist’s office while you’re travelling for the holidays.
Keep Up With Your Dental Hygiene Routine
Over your holiday vacation, you’ll be in a new environment with a new schedule, which can make it easy to fall out of your dental hygiene routine. Plus, with all of the excitement surrounding the season, you may forget to brush or floss your teeth. This can open the door for common oral health problems to develop and cause pain and discomfort that could land you in your emergency dentist’s office. Be sure to set a reminder in your phone or make time during the day to continue brushing and flossing.
Skip the Chewy, Sticky, Sugary Treats
Homemade sweet treats that cling to your teeth may be satisfying to munch on, but they also increase your chances of experiencing dental decay. To avoid cavity formation that can lead to infections and severe toothaches, be sure to pass on the chewy sugary snacks that can put your mouth at risk. If you simply can’t resist them, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water to keep sugar from settling on your teeth and attracting harmful oral bacteria.
Don’t Use Your Teeth To Open Packages or Bottles
Ripping a present open with your teeth shows your enthusiasm and excitement for the holiday season, but it can have a painful and pricey consequence. Chipped, cracked, and fractured teeth can cause extreme sensitivity that could take you away from your holiday celebrations. Instead of using your teeth as tools, grab a pair of scissors from the kitchen.
Break Bad Oral Habits
Teeth grinding and nail biting are a couple of bad oral habits that can cause your enamel to wear faster, leaving the inner more fragile structure of your teeth vulnerable to be attacked by harmful oral bacteria. You can cushion your teeth from grinding and clenching with a mouthguard, but for nail-biting, you’ll need to remind yourself to stop in order to break the habit. You can do this by painting your nails, cutting them short, wearing gloves, or identifying and avoiding your triggers.
Avoid Chewing on Hard Objects
Crunching on ice and hard candies can cause you to crack or chip a tooth, which won’t just make you feel too embarrassed to show your smile in family holiday photos, it’ll also cause sensitivity and discomfort. It’s best to let the ice melt on your tongue or avoid it altogether if it’s too tempting.
Because dental emergencies aren’t 100 percent avoidable, be sure to locate your nearest emergency dentist where you’ll be staying for your holiday vacation. Being prepared for any accident that happens can help you avoid additional oral damage and salvage the remainder of your valuable family time.
About the Practice
At MoreSMILES Dental Spa, we have three experienced and passionate dentists on our team. We focus on providing thorough preventive care that helps our patients avoid dental emergencies down the road. However, we also understand that dilemmas happen, which is why we offer same-day treatment for patients who are experiencing pain or discomfort. If you have a dental emergency on your hands and need treatment and first-aid guidance, visit our website or call 985-809-7645.