Check out these safety tips from our Falls Church VA emergency dentist!
Dental emergencies tend to happen more often in the summer, so our Falls Church VA emergency dentist wants to share some safety tips! Your smile needs special care and attention in the summer so that it can stay healthy and beautiful. Check out these tips to protect your pearly whites while you enjoy the summer fun.
Wear a Mouthguard When Necessary
If you love to participate in contact sports, a mouthguard is a necessity. Dental injuries and accidents are much more likely to happen when people participate in sports or rough activities. Mouthguard can help prevent serious injury to your teeth and gums and potentially save you from an emergency dental visit. Damaging your smile due to blunt force trauma can be incredibly painful, and it can be a very expensive issue to fix. Our Falls Church VA emergency dentist recommends wearing a mouthguard to save yourself the trouble and minimize your risk of serious injury. Ask our team about mouthguard options so that we can find the perfect fit for your smile.
Use Your Hands, Not Your Teeth
Many people believe their teeth to be invincible and that they can just use them to open bottles or packages. However, this is not true! You can easily chip or break a tooth simply by trying to open something the wrong way. A surface chip on your tooth may not be serious, but any chip that leaves a sharp edge could seriously hurt you. A crack in the tooth that goes all the way to the gum line can threaten your otherwise healthy tooth and may require a tooth extraction if it becomes infected. Avoid damaging your teeth altogether by simply using your hands to open anything or just by asking a friend for help.
Wear Sunscreen
It is so important to protect the skin on your lips and face by wearing sunscreen. The lips can sometimes go overlooked when we put on SPF at the beach or the park, but they are just as important as the rest of your body! Wear SPF chapstick or lotion to minimize damage to your lips. Failing to use SPF on your mouth can lead to the development of painful sores and even skin cancer. Protect your lips to protect your smile!
Stay Hydrated
Water is essential for our entire body, including our smile! Sugar is often consumed more frequently in the summer because we enjoy a lot of soda, ice cream, ice pops, and deserts. More gatherings mean more opportunities to celebrate with sugary treats. While these are great in moderation, you want to make sure you are rinsing your mouth with water afterward. You should also aim to drink water throughout the day to avoid dehydration. When given the choice, always choose water to help protect your smile and keep you energized all day long.
Stick to Your Routine When Possible
Summer is full of opportunities to stay out late and spend time with friends and family. This can throw off our daily routine and lead us to forget or skip certain steps. Do not skip brushing your teeth in the morning or at night. Food debris and bacteria build up on the surface of our teeth throughout the day and even while we sleep at night. It is so important to brush and floss these particles away so that you don't develop tartar on your smile. Plaque from food hardens into tartar on the surface of your teeth and then can only be removed by our dentist. This can leave your smile at risk for dental decay and gum disease. Brush and floss regularly to help keep your smile healthy and happy!
For more tips from our Falls Church VA emergency dentist, call our office to schedule an appointment. You can reach us at (703) 893-3333 or by filling out an appointment request form on our site. Protect your smile all summer long with these helpful tips! We look forward to seeing you again soon, so call today to book your next visit!
