By admin
04 Mar, 2015
Dental Emergency, Dental Tips, General Dentistry, Orthodontics
broken braces, broken crown, broken tooth, cracked tooth, dental emergency, lost crown, lost tooth
This time of year the weather shifts to longer, warmer, and brighter days, allowing families that have been in hibernation to begin enjoying some of their favorite outdoor activities again. From hiking and biking to actively engaging in sports like baseball and soccer, the fun factor is high — and so is the opportunity for dental disasters.
There are many ways to protect your and your children’s teeth while enjoying the active side of life. Mouthguards and helmets are a must, but even with the best precautions in place, that unexpected spill from a bike or a missed footstep on the trail can quickly lead to a dental emergency. While you can’t predict when a dental emergency will happen, the following tips will help you navigate everything from a broken tooth to damaged orthodontics, so that you can get back to enjoying your springtime fun in no time at all.
Knocked-Out Tooth: Rinse the tooth carefully, making sure not to wash away any remaining tissue. Attempt to place the tooth back in its socket carefully. If this is not possible, place it in a container of milk or water with a pinch of table salt. Call Lancaster emergency dentist Dr. Douglas Weber immediately. Your tooth has the best chance of being saved if you are seen within an hour of having it knocked out.
Chipped, Cracked, or Broken Tooth: Gather and rinse all broken pieces of the tooth. Rinse your mouth with warm water, and apply gauze if there is bleeding. Use a cold compress to relieve pain and swelling in the injured area, and contact your emergency dentist Dr. Weber about being seen immediately.
Partially Dislodged Tooth: When a tooth gets pushed out of its proper position, it is important to manage the pain and get into your emergency dentist immediately. Apply a cold compress to the area, and take a pain reliever such as Tylenol or Advil as needed.
Lost or Broken Crown: Save your crown and set up an appointment with your Lancaster emergency dentist Dr. Douglas Weber right away. If possible, use over-the-counter dental cement to reattach the crown. If there is any pain, take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as Advil or Tylenol. Clove oil can also be used to soothe sensitive areas.
Broken Braces: Orthodontic wax can be used to cover or temporarily reattach loose brackets and broken wires. If a broken wire is poking out and into your cheek or tongue, use the eraser end of a pencil to move it into a comfortable position, then cover it with wax, gauze, or cotton. See your orthodontist to have your braces repaired.
Preparing for Dental Emergencies
Now that you know how best to react to preserve your smile in the worst-case scenarios, here are a few items to have on hand:
- Dentist’s phone number and email address
- Small, portable container for dental emergency kit
- Saline solution
- Tissue
- Gauze
- Orthodontic wax
- Dental cement
- Compress
- Ibuprofen and/or Tylenol
For more information on how to handle a specific dental emergency, or for immediate help, contact Lancaster emergency dentist Dr. Doug Weber at (661) 952-7865.
More
A recent experiment has led some researchers to suggest that wine may help fight dental cavities. In the experiment, cultures of various types of cavity-causing bacteria were grown as bio-film, then submerged in a variety of liquids, including red wine with and without alcohol, as well as wine spiked with grape-seed extract. All the variations of wine were the most successful at getting rid of bacteria.
There are a couple of factors that contribute to this much-beloved libation being effective at cavity fighting. The antioxidants present in grape-seed extract can improve your overall health, but the key to wine’s effectiveness is its substantive ability to remain on teeth for an extended length of time. Wine’s high substance gives its antioxidants all the time they need to fight harmful bacteria.
But before any wine lovers raise a glass to celebrate yet another reason to have a glass, be warned that what makes wine good for your oral health also makes it problematic for the aesthetic integrity of your teeth. It’s true that ingredients in wine can lead to fewer dental cavities; however, it also causes discoloration. That’s right. While drinking wine regularly may fight dental cavities, it also stains teeth. This news may put a damper on your celebratory mood, but do not dismay — you can still enjoy your favorite merlot. There are a variety of teeth-whitening treatments that will keep your smile bright white and looking its best.
From teeth whitening strips to rinses to in-office bleaching, there is a wide array of fast and affordable solutions for stained teeth. So go ahead and indulge in a glass of your best cabernet at dinner tonight, and then call Dr. Weber today at (661) 952-7865 to find out how you can maintain a bright smile with a glass in hand!
More
Of all the ways a person can convey confidence and happiness, a powerful, gleaming smile might be the most instantaneous. A bright, white row of perfectly aligned teeth is not only beautiful but also mesmerizing. It’s hard to turn away from a stunning smile — do you have one that you love to proudly display?
Few people are blessed with a perfectly aligned, bright smile, but our Lancaster, CA dental office has helped many happy patients achieve one. Through a process we call “smile design,” we can transform your mouth using the artistry of our dental healthcare professionals to create a gorgeous grin that you’ll never want to hide. So what does smile design entail?
- Performing consistent cleanings and root scaling to make sure teeth are healthy and cavity free
- Filling cavities and putting a stop to other signs of decay
- Restoring damaged or missing teeth with crowns or implants
- Creating veneers for teeth that have intense staining or are misshapen
- Treating misaligned teeth with an alignment-therapy method
- Whitening the teeth using in-office procedures that can immediately brighten teeth by an average of eight shades
Not everyone will pursue the same smile design process; having just one of these procedures done can vastly improve the quality of your oral health and your confidence.
If you’re wondering which procedures would be most helpful in achieving your perfect smile, set up a cosmetic dental evaluation with Dr. Weber today. After you tell Dr. Weber what you’re looking for, he will discuss our guidelines and cover the unique changes he can make to your teeth to turn the smile of your dreams into a reality. Please call our Lancaster, CA dental office at 661-952-7865 or complete our online form to request an appointment and find out what the latest advances in cosmetic dentistry can do for your smile!
More
If you are currently undergoing chemotherapy, we know that you are already in extreme discomfort. What patients may not realize is how these strong drugs can effect the area of concern as well as the rest of your body, including the mouth area. Chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells, but also affect normal cells, including cells in the mouth. Healthy cells can generally repair the damage caused by the chemotherapy however, some side effects can still exist. The problems depend on the chemotherapy drugs and how your body reacts to them. You may have these problems only during treatment or for a short time after treatment ends.
It’s important to know that side effects in the mouth can be serious.
- The side effects can hurt and make it hard to eat, talk, and swallow.
- You are more likely to get an infection, which can be dangerous when you are receiving cancer treatment.
- If the side effects are bad, you may not be able to keep up with your cancer treatment. Your Physician may need to cut back on your cancer treatment or may even stop it.
What mouth problems does chemotherapy cause?
- Soreness and ulceration of the mouth
- Mouth infections
- Dry mouth
- Bleeding gums
- Burning, peeling, or swelling tongue
- Change in taste
Why Should I See Dr. Weber?
Schedule an appointment with Dr. Weber in Lancaster, CA before chemotherapy begins to inorder to help prevent potentially serious mouth problems. Dr. Weber can help you get your teeth and gums into the healthiest possible condition before your treatment begins.
During your chemotherapy treatment you may experience dry mouth therefore there will be less saliva to protect the teeth. Fluoride toothpaste or a fluoride mouthwash during your chemotherapy will help protect your teeth and can be prescribed by Dr. Weber.
Discuss with your oncologist any dental work that needs to be done during your chemotherapy treatment. There will be times during your chemotherapy when you will be at more risk of bleeding and infection, and the timing of any dental work needs to be planned very carefully. Speak with your oncologist about ideal timing for dental procedures. Dr. Weber would be happy to help you communicate with your physician as well. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Weber as soon as you can before chemotherapy treatments begin or at any time during your treatments if you are experiencing discomfort.
What Will the Lancaster, CA Dental Team at Douglas B. Weber, D.D.S. Do?
- Check and clean your teeth
- Take x-rays
- Take care of mouth problems
- Show you how to take care of your mouth to prevent side effects
Additional Resources:
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Livingwithandaftercancer/Symptomssideeffects/Mouthcare/Chemotherapy.aspx
More
Anytime you have a toothache, the first thing most people do is seek an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever. While this may provide some temporary relief, to discover the cause of your toothache and the right treatment, you will need to see a dentist. Dr. Weber in Lancaster, CA will determine the exact cause of your pain in order to prescribe the best treatment plan for you. Dr. Weber will determine if the problem is due to decay or trauma to a tooth involving the central pulp tissue containing the nerve which is the most common cause for severe toothaches. This will require endodontic (“endo” = inside, “dont” = tooth) treatment or what is commonly referred to as a root canal treatment, which will remove the pain and allow you to keep the tooth.
Just make sure you don’t let a toothache go untreated too long, you want to pinpoint the problem before it gets worse. If you are unsure of what you are feeling, contact the dental team at Douglas B. Weber D.D.S. in Lancaster, CA as soon as possible so you can get back to enjoy a pain-free life.
More
