Our teeth – while they may look strong – are not impervious to damage. In fact, many people will experience tooth and mouth injuries at least once or twice in their life. As an infant, tooth injuries are usually caused by clumsiness when learning how to walk for the first time. As a child, cracked teeth and other issues can arise from boisterous playing with friends or playing sports. As an adult, you can injure your teeth from stopping your car too suddenly while drinking water from a glass bottle. Basically, anything can happen. Here are five ways to prevent common tooth and mouth injuries.
- Provide a soft landing for children learning how to walk and run. Many dental injuries in children are caused by getting used to being on two feet. So, if you are a parent or guardian, it is your job to predict where the landing area will be and then put down some kind of soft padding on the floor. You may also want to have your child practice walking in a room that is carpeted and doesn’t have too many obstacles.
- Avoid foods that are too hard. There are many foods that are too hard to eat and can end up doing a lot of damage to your teeth. In fact, just a tiny knick can cause tooth decay to completely compromise a tooth. For instance, hard candies, bread with a thick crust and other food items that have a hard outer surface can increase the risk of a chipped or broken tooth. You may also want to stay away from raw pasta or chewing on any items that are made out of hard plastic, like pen caps and the earpiece of your glasses.
- Wear a mouth guard. If you play sports or are regularly in a situation where you could potentially sustain an injury to your teeth or mouth, you want to make sure that you wear a mouth guard. A mouth guard can usually be purchased from any sporting goods store and it could literally save your mouth and teeth from a serious injury. It may be uncomfortable to wear at first, but it will be well worth it.
- Visit a dentist on a regular and recurring basis. Visiting a dental clinic, will ensure that your teeth stay strong and healthy. Strong and healthy teeth is the key to preventing injuries. If your teeth are unhealthy, you could have eroding enamel, which can make your teeth more sensitive to damage. The stronger your teeth, the better protection you have.
- Don’t put yourself in precarious situations. There are a lot of precarious situations you can put yourself in everyday that could result in a tooth or mouth injury. For instance, when you are driving, you want to make sure that you don’t keep anything close to your mouth. One abrupt stop and you could lose or severely damage a tooth. In the end, your teeth may be strong, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take extra measures to protect them.
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