Although you never expect to have to go in for emergency dental care , there are certain ways you can reduce your risk for dealing with one of these emergencies. Use this guide to learn what you can to do try to avoid dental emergencies and to keep your teeth healthy and in their proper position:

Wear a Mouth Guard

A lot of dental emergencies happen during various sporting events. If you play any kind of contact sport, you should wear a mouth guard. A mouth guard can prevent a crack or a break if you get hit in the mouth. It might also keep you from biting your lip or losing one of your teeth. Your Atlanta dentist can create a custom mouth guard that protects your teeth even more.

Watch What You Eat

Biting and chewing on very hard food could cause you to chip a tooth. You should not chew ice, popcorn kernels, or hard candy. You should also not chew on pens or other hard objects that might put your teeth at risk. If you can avoid chipping your teeth, you significantly reduce your risk for suffering a dental emergency.

Do Not Use Your Teeth to Cut or Open Items

A lot of people use their teeth to open bags of food or other objects. Even though this seems harmless, using your teeth to open or cut items might lead to a significant injury that requires the attention of an emergency dentist. You should always make an effort to use scissors instead of using your teeth to cut or open things.

If you do chip, break, or lose a tooth, it is important to schedule an appointment with an emergency dentist as soon as possible. The faster you can get the medical attention you need, the better chance you have of salvaging your tooth and making a full recovery. Visiting the emergency dentist helps you maintain your beautiful smile.