Protecting Our Kids' Smiles

A dental emergency can disrupt your daily activities. Although some emergency cases seem to crop out of nowhere, others arise from gradual oral problems. Failure to take the right course of action to address a dental emergency can cause permanent teeth loss. Unfortunately, many people don't know what to do during a dental emergency, even when under excruciating pain. It often leads to serious mistakes, exacerbating the issue at hand. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the common mistakes that people make during a dental emergency. 

Preferring Home Remedies

Today, you can almost learn anything you want from the internet, including tooth care and oral hygiene tips. For instance, some sources have information on how chewing cloves and placing the paste on an aching tooth can reduce the pain. However, such recommendations only address symptoms, not the underlying problem. If you do not feel any pain, it is less likely that you will see a dentist, which only worsens your condition. As effective as some home remedies might seem, you should not solely rely on them to address a dental emergency. Only a qualified dentist can handle an emergency case and save your teeth.   

Forgetting Dental Insurance

If you pay monthly premiums for your dental cover, you should not pay for dental costs out of pocket. Unfortunately, some people forget to carry their insurance card to an emergency dental clinic and end up paying a substantial amount of money for treatment. Even if you are unsure whether your insurance company covers the dental emergency in question, do not leave your card behind. You might save hundreds of dollars in treatment costs. The best way to ensure that you always carry your insurance card is to keep it in your wallet or purse at all times. This way, the chances of forgetting it are very low. 

Mishandling Knocked-Out Teeth

The first thing that most people do when their teeth are knocked off is to stop the bleeding. Only a few people bother with the knocked-out teeth. It is common because most people do not know that a dentist can reattach knocked-out teeth within an hour of the incident. Therefore, clean your knocked-out teeth in clean water and avoid touching the root section. Also, instead of wrapping a tooth in tissue paper or a handkerchief, try putting it back into the gum. It significantly increases the chances of saving your tooth. 

For more information about emergency dental care, contact a dentist.