Whether you’re traveling abroad this summer or are just going on a nearby weekend getaway with friends, here’s what to do if you’re experiencing a dental emergency while you’re away.

Toothache

If you have a toothache while flying, don’t panic. For people who may have a cavity, a damaged filling, or a crack in their teeth, the changes in air pressure can make the affected area expand and cause pain or discomfort. Your toothache should go away after landing, but be sure to follow up with your dentist when you return home.

If you have a toothache and haven’t flown anywhere—or if the toothache from your flight
hasn’t gone away—you can try to alleviate your pain by rinsing gently with warm salt water, carefully flossing your teeth, or applying a cold compress to the affected area. You should never ignore a toothache, especially if the pain is severe, so your dentist as soon as you’re able, and find one while you’re traveling if you can!

Cracked or Chipped Tooth

If you crack or chip a tooth during your vacation, it’s important to find a dentist who can assess the problem, especially if you’re experiencing pain as a result of your injury. Your hotel concierge may be able to recommend a local dentist, or if you need to, go to the emergency room to address the problem.

Knocked-Out Tooth

A knocked-out tooth will require immediate attention, so find a dentist if you can, but visit the emergency room if you cannot. If the tooth is in one piece, you can hold it gently by the crown and attempt to keep it in its socket until you can receive medical attention. If your tooth is in fragments, gather up all the pieces if you can and store them in saliva or milk until you can see a dentist.

Restorative Dentistry Issue

Whether it’s a filling that’s fallen out or broken dentures, it’s common for restorative dentistry issues to crop up, especially if you haven’t seen the dentist in a while and your restoration is in need of repair. You may be able to get help from a local dentist for a temporary fix until you can see your regular dentist at home. If you’re traveling abroad, you may be able to ask your insurance company for dentists that you can see.

Be Prepared!

Your best bet for a dental emergency is to be prepared. Go in for a checkup before your trip. Consider getting dental insurance if you’re going abroad. Travel with everything you know you need to maintain your smile. You can also be extra prepared and keep a list of dentists in your bag, whether you’re going somewhere locally or outside the country. This can save you precious time if you’re experiencing a severe toothache or a knocked-out tooth!

Dealing with an emergency is never at the top of anyone’s fun list, but being prepared while you’re traveling can make all the difference. Know where to go if you need help. Keep items you know you’ll need with you. Keep these tips in mind if a dental emergency happens while you’re on your vacation!

The post Dental Emergency While Traveling? Here’s What to Do appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

However, even wearing a mouthguard during non-contact sports such as soccer, basketball, and
baseball can help prevent injuries. Any child who plays a sport—regardless of age—should wear
a mouthguard. But why?

Injuries Can Happen During Any Sport

Accidents can happen anywhere, especially when your child is involved in a sport. Sports
injuries to the face, jaw, or mouth can cause major damage, from tooth loss to cut gums.

Even if your child just loses a baby tooth, losing baby teeth prematurely will impact your child’s
permanent teeth. Baby teeth are there to help guide adult teeth into position, so without this
important marker, your child may need to have orthodontia later on.

A mouthguard helps absorb the impact of the blow to the face or jaw, reducing the chances
that your child’s teeth will suffer the consequences. In fact, recent research suggests that
mouthguards may help prevent concussions during sports!

Mouthguards for Children of All Ages

Children of any age can be sized for a mouthguard. Many children start playing sports young, so
dentists can make custom mouthguards for children of all ages and sizes.

Although store-bought mouthguards are cheaper, they tend to be uncomfortable and don’t
provide full protection. A custom mouthguard from your dentist is your best choice and will
provide complete protection for your little one’s smile.

Mouthguards aren’t just for kids with braces—any child can benefit from wearing one when
playing sports!

How to Get Your Child to Wear Their Mouthguard

Not all children are keen on wearing mouthguards. Some may be too young to fully understand
why the mouthguard is necessary and attempt to go without it. Fortunately, there are several
ways to get your child to wear their mouthguard.

 Get their favorite color. Your child will love their custom colored mouthguard!

 Make it fun. You can get sparkly mouthguards or mouthguards with a unique logo or
design to customize it for your child.

 Flavored mouthguards. Some dentists offer the option for mouthguards to come with a
flavor, which may encourage your child to wear it during their sport.

 Incentives. If all else fails, offer your child an incentive, such as choosing a prize after
every game they wear their mouthguard.

You can and should explain to your child why the mouthguard is important for their smile, even
if they’re a bit young to fully understand. You can explain that a mouthguard is just as
important as their uniform, knee pads, shin guards, and other protective gear. You can also tell
them that a mouthguard is just another way of taking care of your smile, just like brushing and
flossing.

If your child is playing a sport, especially a contact sport, a mouthguard should be an essential
part of their uniform during games and practices. Protecting your child’s teeth—even if they’re
baby teeth—is going to help their smile remain healthy and secure for life!

The post At What Age Should My Child Wear a Mouthguard During Sports? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Trauma to the Tooth

If one of your teeth has experienced any type of trauma, this could be the cause for its
discoloration. This trauma could include getting into an accident whether as a child or as an
adult, such as a car accident or falling and injuring your mouth.

When your tooth is injured, bleeding can happen inside the tooth. Bleeding will often cause a
bluish-gray tinge to the tooth, almost like a bruise. However, bleeding can also cause a tooth to
become brown or yellow. As a result of the trauma, your tooth’s root may die. When the root
dies, this can lead to a brown or gray appearance that sticks out from the other teeth.

Staining from Food or Medicine

We know that certain foods and drinks have the ability to stain our teeth. Whether it’s from
harmful behaviors such as tobacco use or from drinking coffee and wine, some teeth may be
more resistant to staining than others. Enamel is porous and while it can help protect teeth
from staining when it’s strong, it could be the cause for staining when it’s weak.

Medicine could also be the cause of your tooth’s different color. Some people who were given
antibiotics as a child—or people who have a mother that took them while pregnant—may have
a tooth or two that appears gray. This usually happens before the permanent teeth come in and
is something your dentist can help evaluate.

Tooth Decay

It’s not easy to spot cavities if you don’t go to the dentist regularly. Many people don’t realize
they have a cavity until it’s too late. Tooth decay can progress to the point that it eats through
the softer tissues of your teeth and eventually sabotages your tooth’s root. When this happens,
the root dies and an infection can ensue.

People who have a dead tooth root commonly experience discoloration in that tooth. This
discoloration may go away with root canal therapy, in which all the dead tissue is removed and
the tooth is properly sealed up. Your dentist can evaluate if your tooth decay has caused your
discoloration and if a root canal can help fix it!

When it comes to discolored teeth, considering the causes will help you find your best form of
treatment. Although a professional whitening can fix some of these problems, most often the
root cause will need to be fixed. This may mean receiving root canal therapy or fixing the
problem so your tooth color can return to normal. Addressing the cause of your tooth
discoloration can help return your smile to normal!

The post Why Has One of My Teeth Become Discolored? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Inherited Genes

Many of the misalignment problems dentists and orthodontists see today are hereditary, meaning they were likely inherited genes that were passed on to you from one of your parents. This could mean that you have a small mouth with too many teeth, different sized upper and lower jaws, or complex bite problems that’ll need to be fixed with orthodontic treatment. This is one of the most common causes of misaligned bites and can create problems that’ll need to be addressed by your dentist. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to prevent this cause of misalignment!

Overuse of Pacifier and Bottle Feeding

What you do as a child can affect your smile as you get older, despite the fact that you lose your primary teeth and get adult teeth in long before you notice there’s a problem. If you used a pacifier after the age of three or were still using a bottle after this age, chances are this affected the bite and structure of your teeth. Dentists commonly see an open bite with this problem that originated in early childhood.

Another problem that could lead to malocclusions of the teeth could be thumb sucking. While it’s normal for babies to suck their thumbs, any excessive use of this can alter the structure of your teeth. If you have children, do your best to discourage these habits long before they can become problems that will require dental treatment.

Injury

Injury to your face or mouth could cause a misaligned bite. This includes accidents, but it could also include subpar dental care, such as poorly fitted restorative dentistry work like dental fillings and dental crowns. Even poor orthodontic work could negatively affect your bite and cause more problems that it was intended to fix!

Injury may also come from losing your baby teeth too early (before the age of four years and six months) or even losing your adult teeth. You may also have tumors that are causing your misalignment, which are always imperative to get checked out with your doctor.

While malocclusions of the teeth can be obvious in appearance for some people, in others, only symptoms will appear such as difficulty chewing or speaking. Your dentist is often the first person who sees that there’s a problem and can help you plan steps to correct it along with your orthodontist. If you experience mouth breathing, uncomfortable chewing, or even problems pronouncing words, schedule an appointment with your dentist. A misaligned bite could be to blame!

The post Malocclusions of the Teeth: What Causes a Misaligned Bite? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.