Every year, more than 5 million teeth are knocked out or lost due to accident-related injuries. Restoration procedures to replace missing teeth can be painful for your mouth and for your bank account: an estimated 500 million dollars was spent on emergency dental care last year alone. Lucerne Valley dentist Samuel Kim wants his patients to have beautiful, dazzling smiles without burdening their wallets, so he’s come up with some ways to help his patients prevent injury to their teeth both before and after an accident occurs.  

 

Accidents happen. The best way to stay protected from a potentially serious injury is to be prepared. Keep reading for tips on how to prevent serious damage to your teeth and what to do in case of an emergency.

 

The American Dental Association reports that 13-39 percent of dental injuries are sports-related. However, any blunt trauma to the face, especially the jaw, can potentially cause tooth injury, which often leads to tooth loss. Chipped or fractured teeth always need to be treated or removed to prevent periodontal disease or decay.

 

Studies have proven that the best way to protect your teeth from this type of injury is to wear a mouth guard. In several cases, both adult and children athletes have been observed, and in each case, no athlete who sustained an oral injury throughout the course of his/her sports season was found to have been wearing a mouth guard. The staff at Apple Valley Dental can fit you with a custom mouth guard that should be worn during any physical activity to protect your teeth and jaw from any direct blow to the face.

 

If you find yourself in the midst of an emergency situation, remain calm. In the event an ambulance needs to be called, you will need to provide the doctors that arrive on the scene with a brief description of the accident that occurred. If you witness or are involved in a serious or life-threatening accident, call 911 or visit the emergency room immediately.

 

After an injury, quick action is the best way to prevent further damage to your teeth. Restorative procedures, as well as tooth extractions and crown replacement are available at Apple Valley Dental. Contact our office to receive treatment for any one of the following dental injuries:

For more information about emergency dental treatments in the Lucerne Valley and Apple Valley, CA areas, call (760) 247-6007.