Gingivitis, or gum disease, affects far more than just your oral health. It’s been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers, so it’s critical to do all you can to prevent it, or if diagnosed with it, to treat it promptly.
You’ve probably experienced some form of minor dental trauma at some point in your life, such as accidentally biting your tongue or scraping your gums with your toothbrush. Most of the time, it’s not a big deal and can heal on its own.
Dental emergencies, on the other hand, are injuries or trauma to your mouth that require immediate dental assistance. If left untreated, these dental issues can cause serious problems with your health. This may range from permanently missing teeth to jaw pain to bacterial infections.
So when something goes awry in your mouth, how do you know if you’re experiencing a true dental emergency? Here at Modern Age Dentistry, we want our patients to know what to do, so Dr. Saeghi recommends you begin by asking yourself the following questions:
If you can answer yes to any of these questions, it’s time to give us a call.
Dental emergencies can often be avoided by taking care of your mouth and teeth. This includes proper hygiene, avoiding hard sweets and tough foods, and wearing face protection and a mouthguard when playing contact sports. Sometimes, however, accidents can occur even when we think we’re being safe.
Common dental emergencies include:
If you have a dental problem, try to remain calm and prepared for your visit, rather than panicking. We recommend keeping a small dental emergency kit handy at all times, whether at home or out on adventures. Your kit should include:
Consider this kit as insurance. Should a dental emergency ever arise, you’ll be ready for the occasion. If you meet the above criteria and are experiencing a dental emergency, contact us immediately at any of our locations in the West Hills, Los Angeles, or Ojai areas. We leave room in our schedule to accommodate emergency situations so that when you need us, we can fit you in.
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