There’s never a good time to have a toothache. The good news is that our emergency dentist in South Bend, IN, is always accepting new patients. During your appointment, he’ll diagnose and treat the source of your pain so you can regain your oral health. He’ll also advise you on how to prevent another dental emergency from occurring in the future.
Here are the top ways to reduce your risk of a dental emergency.
Practice Good Oral Hygiene
The best way to prevent a dental emergency is to practice good oral hygiene at home. This means brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once daily to remove plaque. Plaque is an invisible film of bacteria that sticks to your teeth and gums. If left untreated, it can harden into tartar and lead to cavities, gum disease, and other oral health issues.
Don’t Skip Your Routine Checkups
In general, we recommend that you schedule your teeth cleanings every six months. However, Dr. Gasko may recommend more frequent cleanings if he needs to monitor a chronic oral health condition, such as periodontitis.
Teeth cleanings are important because they allow us to diagnose oral health issues before they have the opportunity to worsen. For example, it’s much less invasive for us to treat a small cavity with a filling than to wait until you’re experiencing pain and need an emergency root canal.
During your routine checkups, we examine your teeth, gums, and other dental structures. We may also take X-rays depending on how long it’s been since your last ones. X-rays help us see what’s not visible to the naked eye, such as cavities hiding between teeth.
Get an Oral Cancer Screening
The American Cancer Society predicts that over 54,000 Americans will get oral or throat cancer in 2023. The good news is that our dentist provides oral cancer screenings so cancer is detected in its early stages.
Certain lifestyle factors, such as being a smoker, can increase your risk of oral cancer. This is why we always ask our patients to fill out a detailed medical history at Select Dental Associates.
Wear Your Sports Mouth Guard
Do you play a contact sport, such as football or hockey? If so, it’s important that you wear a custom sports mouth guard to protect your smile. Otherwise, you risk knocking out a tooth by accident during your next game or practice.
While you can buy a mouth guard from your local sporting goods store, a custom mouth guard from our dentist offers far superior protection from being hit in the face.
Ask About a Night Guard for Teeth Grinding
If you grind or clench your teeth, it’s important that you wear a custom night guard from Dr. Gasko. A night guard forms a protective layer between your upper and lower teeth, which preserves the enamel.
If left untreated, teeth grinding can increase your risk of enamel loss, fractured teeth, teeth chipping, and other oral health issues. The best way to avoid a dental emergency is to wear your night guard as prescribed.
Consider Getting Dental Sealants
As the name suggests, a sealant is designed to seal away the deep grooves and divots in your back teeth. This gives your smile an added layer of protection from cavities. A dental sealant acts like a raincoat for your molar, shielding it from food particles and bacteria.
While many children get dental sealants to protect their baby teeth, it’s also possible for adults to benefit from this procedure as well. However, we advise checking your insurance coverage prior to your appointment to avoid any surprise out-of-pocket costs.
Schedule an Appointment With Dr. Gasko
Dr. Michael Gasko is an experienced emergency dentist in South Bend, IN. He’s also accepting new patients and would be more than happy to welcome you to our office. To schedule an appointment, please call (574) 213-7478. For non-emergencies, you may also fill out our online contact form and someone from our team will reach out to you soon.