Family Dentist in Pearland on Holiday Dental Emergencies

Happy (almost) holidays! We hope you are having a warm and happy December. Now picture this for a moment — you’re seated with your loved ones around a big table full of your favorite foods. As you start to make your way through your plate, you bite down on something a little harder than expected and you have a terrible feeling that something is wrong. A few seconds later and, yes, you’ve broken a tooth.

What do you do next? Your family dentist in Pearland advises you not to panic. The holidays are an inconvenient time to have a dental emergency, sure, but there’s never an ideal moment for something to go wrong with your oral health.

There are a few steps you can take to be more prepared if the unexpected happens over the next week. Reading this blog post is the first — it’s full of helpful tips!

Watch What (and How) You Eat

This time of year there are a number of special treats and foods to enjoy, and unfortunately, some of them can take a real toll on your teeth. Peanut brittle, toffees, and other hard, sticky, or crunchy offerings put you at risk of a broken tooth, crown, filling, or other dental work.

You don’t necessarily have to stay away from these items altogether, though. To avoid damaging your pearly whites, try eating in smaller bites and chewing slowly.

Protect Your Smile from Impact

There’s nothing better than tossing the pigskin or kicking a soccer ball around with your family in the backyard between holiday events. But, depending on how competitive your loved ones are known to get, it may turn into rough play — and sports injuries are the #1 cause of dental emergencies. Protecting your smile with a sportsguard will help you avoid knocked out teeth, lacerated oral tissue, and other painful injuries.

Know These First Aid Tips

If, despite your best efforts, a dental emergency does occur, take heed of these first aid tips which can help you manage pain until you can have the issue seen about. Call our office and your emergency dentist in Pearland will get back to you as soon as possible.

• Stop the bleeding by applying firm pressure to the wound
• Store any larger missing or broken pieces for possible reattachment
• Do not touch a knocked out tooth’s root, and keep it moist in a cup of milk
• Use an ice pack to minimize swelling
• Take an over-the-counter pain medication to ease discomfort
• Rinse the mouth with warm saltwater

Schedule a Post-Holidays Checkup

After the holidays are over, start the New Year off with a checkup and cleaning. Doing so will help you know you made it through November and December without any issues and allow you to smile with confidence throughout the beginning of 2018! We can’t wait to see you and your loved ones in the New Year.

About the Dentists

Dr. Danny Nguyen and Dr. Cindy Hua are dentists providing comprehensive services, including emergency care, to patients of all ages in and around Pearland, TX. To learn more about their offerings or to schedule an appointment with the “dentist near me” you are searching for, we invite you to contact the office at 713-436-5655.