For dentists, this is one of the busiest times of the year
in our offices. We are seeing patients who want to maximize their insurance
benefits for the year which is drawing to a close. We are seeing patients who
are already stressing out about the once-a-year relatives that will be visiting
and grinding their teeth so much that their jaws hurt. There are also people
who are enjoying the holiday treats that are so delicious, but can either break
a tooth or pull a crown off because they are hard, sticky or both! (The
particular sweet I am thinking of is a nougat type of candy.) Last, but not
least, there are those holiday-related emergencies, like the time my brother,
as a toddler, thought the Christmas tree ornament looked like a shiny golden
apple and took a bite out of it! That was a mouth full of cuts and abrasions,
and an oral disaster.
Now if you read this blog about two months ago, I suggested
that one way to prepare for this Season of Sugar was to visit your dentist
early to head off any dental problems or emergencies. Well, too late now for
that. But, I do have some ideas for how
you can still prepare yourself to stay dentally safe and sound and maintain
your oral health during this time of year.
1. Prepare
yourself a dental emergency kit! This is
simple to do by strolling down the
dental care aisle at your local pharmacy. This kit can include a few
Q-tips, temporary filling material, and temporary dental cement. The
product I usually recommend for temporary
fillings is called Dent Temp. I have had many patients use this with great
success. The Q-tips could be used for pressing the material into a tooth if
needed if a filling falls out. Both products have directions on them that are
easy to follow.
2. The
best over the counter pain medication for tooth pain is Ibuprofen. If you do
encounter a toothache, do not put an aspirin on the gum ( a common
misconception). Try taking an appropriate dose of Ibuprofen. Also do not
aggravate the sensitive tooth with very hot or very cold foods or drinks.
3. Even
with all the holiday preparations, parties, and busy schedules, be sure to
stick to your daily oral hygiene routine. Include toothbrushes ,toothpaste and
floss in the stocking stuffers! Many companies put out holiday edition product
packaging that is so festive you don’t even have to wrap it. Be sure to include
other extra dental things like a bag of
flossers, proxy brushes and toothpaste tube squeezers ( that squeeze all the
paste to one end – they are great!)
We can all take a lesson from the children’s holiday movie
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”.
Remember the Abominable Snowman? He suffered from a terrible
toothache and had to have Hermey the Elf pull his teeth.
Don’t have an abominable holiday! Take care of your teeth so that you can smile
your way through the season and into the new year!
Happy Holidays everyone!
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