| Summer means spending lots of time
outdoors participating in various recreational
activities and maybe being away from home on vacation.
The American Dental Association (ADA) provides these
tips for a safe summer for your smile. Protect
your smile with a mouthguard - If you like to inline
skate, bicycle, skateboard, or play softball, baseball,
volleyball, basketball, or soccer, the ADA recommends
you wear a mouthguard. A properly fitted mouthguard is
an important piece of athletic gear that can help
protect your smile. Mouthguards can help cushion blows
that might otherwise cause broken teeth, injuries to the
lips, tongue, face or jaw and may even help reduce the
severity and incidence of concussions. The ADA
recommends mouthguards be worn by children and adults
during any recreational activity that might pose a risk
of injury to the mouth.
Don't chew smokeless tobacco
- It's baseball season, and some major league ball
players still use smokeless tobacco. The ADA says this
is not a good habit to imitate because whether you call
it smokeless tobacco, chew, spit, dip or snuff, it may
result in bad breath, gum disease or oral cancer.
Studies show baseball players do not hit, pitch or field
better when using smokeless tobacco. The nicotine is as
high or higher in smokeless tobacco than in cigarettes.
Smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to
cigarettes. If you use spit tobacco, quit. If you
haven't tried it, don't start.
Dental emergencies: What do
you do when you're at the beach, or on vacation or
participating in some sports activity and you have a
dental emergency?
- Knocked-out tooth: Retrieve the
tooth and rinse it off if it's dirty. Hold the tooth
by the crown and do not scrub or remove any attached
tissue fragments from the root. If possible, put the
tooth back in its socket. If that isn't possible,
put it in a container with milk and bring it with
you to the dentist immediately, or within 30 minutes
for the best chance of saving the tooth.
- Broken tooth: Rinse your mouth
with warm water to keep the area clean. Use cold
compresses externally to keep the swelling down and
call your dentist's office quickly.
- Toothache: Rinse the mouth with
warm water to clean it out. Use dental floss to
remove any food that might be trapped between the
teeth. Do not place aspirin on the aching tooth or
gum tissues. See your dentist as soon as possible.
- Bitten tongue or lip: Apply
direct pressure to the bleeding area with a clean
cloth. Apply cold compresses to reduce any swelling.
If the bleeding doesn't stop, go to the hospital
emergency room.
- Problems with braces and
retainers: If a wire is causing irritation, cover
the end with beeswax or a small cotton ball until
you can get to the dentist. If an appliance becomes
loose or a piece of it breaks off, call the dentist.
If a wire gets stuck in the cheek, tongue or gum
tissue, do not attempt to remove it. Call the
dentist immediately or go to the emergency room if a
dentist is unavailable.
The ADA recommends that you carry
your dentist's office and emergency telephone numbers
with you when you're away from home. You can always call
for a consultation if you're away from home to have your
dentist help you determine whether you need to seek
immediate care or if you can wait. Medication or a
referral can usually be arranged even if you are
traveling. (See How to Find a Dentist When You're on
Vacation.) And remember, summer is no time to take a
vacation from brushing your teeth at least twice a day
with an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste, cleaning
between your teeth daily and visiting your dentist
regularly. Always look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance
when choosing oral hygiene products. It's the consumer's
guide to safe and effective oral care products.
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