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No one wants to deal with a dental emergency over Thanksgiving, Christmas or on any other winter holiday. Unfortunately, these pressing injuries do occur from time to time. The experienced emergency dentists at our Omaha practice provide a few time slots for urgent dental appointments, during normal business hours. If, after the holidays, you realize something is amiss with your teeth or dental health, call one of our four office locations to schedule the next available appointment: In Hillsborough, at 402-445-4647; Ralston, 402-733-4441; Village Pointe, 402-505-7474; or Dundee, 402-502-5593.
Here are the top ways to prevent dental emergencies at any time of year –
Practice Great Dental Hygiene
Cleaning your teeth and gums goes a long way in preventing some of the most common dental problems that, when left untreated, can lead to an emergency. Those problems include cavities, gum disease, gum inflammation and abscesses. An effective preventive routine includes:
- Brushing twice a day
- Flossing once every day
- Drinking more water and less soda, juice and sports drinks
- Limiting snacks between meals
Your at-home dental hygiene routine is the foundation of your oral health. It's like routine maintenance for your car: it prevents larger problems in the future, including dental emergencies.
If you are currently dealing with a dental problem, see the ADA's website with tips for temporary treatment of common injuries.
Take It Easy on the Sweets!
Cavities are a major source of dental emergencies. That's because cavities don't usually cause symptoms, so they can progress and get worse without you realizing it. Eventually, the decay may infect the root chambers of your teeth, which can lead to pain and an eventual abscess. At that point, an urgent root canal treatment may be necessary.
What's one really good way to prevent cavities you ask? Limiting your enjoyment of sweets, candies and other sugary items, which is easier said than done during the holidays. We think you should let yourself enjoy the bounties of the season, but rinse your mouth out with water after eating a treat to rinse the sugar off your teeth. You can also neutralize a lot of the cavity-causing power of sugar by including it as part of a larger meal, so eat treats as a dessert.
Wear a Mouth Guard
If the only time you play contact sports is the family flag football game before Thanksgiving dinner, then you probably don't have a custom mouth guard. So be careful!
On the other hand, if you play football, soccer, rugby, basketball or any other activity where you and the other players come into bodily contact with one another, you should definitely consider getting one of these devices. A custom mouth guard protects your teeth and gums should you get tackled, hit in the head, or take a fall. It's a great way to prevent injury.
Visit the Dentist
Visiting the dentist for your routine cleaning and checkup will also reduce the likelihood of a dental emergency. During your checkup, our dentists look for signs of dental problems. When caught early, these problems can be effectively treated in the majority of cases.
As we mentioned earlier, oral health problems don't always cause symptoms. They can get worse without you realizing it, which is why it's important to have our dentists screen for dental issues.
Dental Emergencies Treated at our Office
Our practice is not open 24 hours a day for emergencies, but we do keep an appointment or two open during normal business hours for so that people with urgent dental matters can take those slots. Of course, if you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go straight to an emergency room.
The following are the types of emergencies most commonly handled by our dentists in Omaha:
- Tooth or teeth that have been dislodged or loosened
- Toothache
- Chipped tooth
- Facial swelling
- Lost, loose or broken dental filling
- Lost, loose or broken dental crown, dental bridge or denture
- Broken or chipped porcelain veneer
While we will not be open on holidays, we will take your call in the days following and see if there is an appointment time for you.
Call Us in Omaha to Learn More
Are you interested in scheduling an emergency dental appointment in our region of Nebraska? Please call the location nearest you: Hillsborough, at 402-445-4647; Ralston, 402-733-4441; Village Pointe, 402-505-7474; Dundee, 402-502-5593.