Damaged tooth? Ouch! First Aid Tips you need to know.
Damaged Tooth: First Aid & Treatment Damaged tooth? Ouch! Here’s What You Need To Know Accidents do happen, here’s some advice on what to do for a lost or damaged tooth: If a tooth is cracked or chipped, it’s best to see a dentist as soon as possible. Broken pieces of tooth can be saved in some milk or plastic wrap if milk is unavailable. Take the chipped pieces with you to your dentist. If it’s a baby tooth, don’t try to replace it yourself, you may cause an infection or damage to the adult tooth behind it. However, if you are not sure if it’s a first or second tooth, put it back in its socket. The risk of permanent damage to an adult tooth not replaced is greater than the damage caused by a baby tooth being put back in. If an adult tooth is knocked out, as quickly as possible: Locate the tooth and handle it gently. If it’s dirty, rinse the tooth in milk or in water (very briefly) to clean it. Try to place the tooth back in the socket within 5-10 minutes of it being dislodged. Take caret hat it’s facing the right way! Make sure the tooth is held in place by gently biting into a soft cloth placed between the teeth. Another option is to cover the tooth and the ones beside it with aluminium foil to stop it moving. If you can’t replace it, keep it moist by putting it in a small amount of milk or wrapping it in cling film. Immediately seek dental treatment– time is of the essence now. Some important tips on dental injuries: Handle the tooth as little as possible. Try not to scrape the tooth surface. Do not let the tooth dry out – keep it moist at all times. No ice, no hot water. While it’s ok to rinse the tooth for a second or two in water in the absence of milk, do not store the tooth in water.. If there is soft tissue attached to the tooth, leave it there. Preventing accidents such as tooth loss is imperative in contact sports. It is very important to wear a custom made mouthguard while training and playing contact sport or pastimes. To help protect you against painful and expensive injuries to your teeth and mouth, make sure you see your practitioner to be fitted for a customised mouthguard, it’s more comfortable, more protective and made for your personal protection. Take the time to look after yourself. Want to learn more or book a consultation? Visit our Contact Us page and complete our enquiry form or call us on 02 9389 3656, we’ll be happy to help answer your questions.
Play it Safe – wear a mouthguard
Play it Safe – Wear a mouthguard The Importance of Play it Safe cannot be overstressed. Every year, thousands of people, adults and children are treated for dental injuries that were preventable or would have been less severe had they been wearing a custom mouthguard. IN any sport or activity where collision or contact is likely, on game day and in training, it cannot be stressed enough the importance of wearing the correct protective mouthguard. It’s always better to ‘play it safe’ and wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth. Who Should use a Mouthguard? Any one undertaking a sport where there is a likelihood of collision or contact should be wearing an adequate protective mouthguard. The obvious ones being Rugby codes, martial arts et al. However, the number of non-contact dental injury is interesting. Sports such as cricket, basketball, netball, touch football, and soccer have all been responsible for dental traumas from ‘accidental’ collision or fall, and contribute to the thousands of people who suffer dental trauma annually. REMEMBER: You are as much risk during training as you are during the game so Play It Safe at training too. The Damage Sports injuries incurred include cause damaged nerves, cracked fractured or displaced teeth, jaw breaks, lacerations to the tongue, cheek and lip. An instance of Dental trauma can have lifelong repercussions, with ongoing treatment required to maintain the damaged tooth or teeth. Repair work is not permanent and will need continue assessment throughout your life to maintain the health of your teeth and prevent larger issues from occurring. Prevention is better than cure – Play it Safe. Protecting your mouth The ADA recommends the use of Custom fitted mouthguards for all participants in contact sport. Customised mouthguards afford vastly superior protection from Boil and Bite or Over the Counter mouthguards. The Custom-Fitted Mouthguard – What to Expect Your practitioner will take an impression of your teeth and gums to create a unique guard to protect every tooth. A plaster model is made so that your mouth can be accurately assessed and the best protection designed for you and the requirements of the sport you play. Want to learn more or book a consultation? Visit our Contact Us page and complete our enquiry form or call us on 02 9389 3656, we’ll be happy to help answer your questions.
mouthguards – which one for me?
While there are many types of mouthguard available in Australia, ranging from cheap, over-the-counter models to professionally custom-fitted mouthguards, there is a strong emphasis from Dental Professionals to use custom made mouthguards. Read on to find out why. While they are cheap and easy to replace, Boil and Bite, or Over-the Counter mouthguards do not provide adequate protection against injuries to your teeth, mouth or jaw. The Australian Dental Association recommends that players of contact sports and pastimes use professional custom made mouthguards for optimum protection. Dental injuries can be expensive, so it is worthwhile investing in a custom-fitted mouthguard. Custom-fitted mouthguards Your custom mouthguard is made just for you, designed for your mouth, your sport and your needs. Custom-fitting allows your practitioner to accurately assess your mouth and provide you with the right protection for your mouth and your level of protection.Custom-fitted mouthguards provide a superior fit, as they are made to suit your individual contours and needs. A custom-fitted mouthguard is:• Comfortable• Well-fitting• Allows you to speak clearly• Won’t shift or fall out• Won’t restrict your breathing Over-the-counter (boil and bite )mouthguards Over-the-counter mouthguards are far less effective than those that are custom-fitted. Whether you are buying a stock mouthguard or one that you can boil and bite into to take the shape of your teeth, the shape, fit, contour and level of protection is substantially reduced in these forms of mouthguard. How long will my custom mouthguard last? It’s recommended that you get a new mouthguard annually, especially so if you are still growing. Most Health Funds will cover 2 mouthguards annually and will cover most if not all, of the cost.If your mouthguard still feels as though it fits, it’s important that you have your mouthguard re-assessed each year before commencing contact sport to ensure it still fits correctly for maximum protection. How do I care for my mouthguard? • Rinse in cold water after use• Store in a rigid plastic container• Keep out of direct sunlight – mouthguards will change shape in high temperatures• Occasionally rinse your mouthguard in a mouthwash, rinse it out after each use.• Replace your mouthguard if it gets damaged Want to learn more or book a consultation? Visit our Contact Us page and complete our enquiry form or call us on 02 9389 3656, we’ll be happy to help answer your questions.
