4 ways to protect your mouth, minimize the need for emergency root canal treatment

When searching for “urgent dental care near me in Alpharetta, Georgia,” it is important to know that Dr. Darlene Davis and Soft Touch Endodontics regularly treat conditions that may have started as minor issues. Without treatment, these problems can snowball into much larger issues that may even require emergency root canal treatment or other surgical endodontic services available at our specialty office in Suwanee. Many advanced oral problems can be prevented, stopped, and even reversed.

Here are four ways to keep your teeth healthy and protect them from the damage that results in emergency dental care:

1 – Know the signs and symptoms

It is important to understand that even subtle changes may be signs of bigger problems that would warrant attention from a dentist. All too often, early decay or disease may go untreated because your mouth continues to look and feel fine. Or, any changes to your teeth may be small enough that they are easy to ignore. By the time you can no longer put off these issues, damage may have already occurred to the tooth. Always keep up with routine oral care at home and professional care at the dentist’s office. Be vigilant about:

• White discoloration on tooth enamel.
• Sensitivity when consuming sweet, cold, and hot foods.
• Gums that look redder and puffier than usual.
• “Pink in the sink” or on your toothbrush and floss, which indicates bleeding.
• Persistently bad breath.
• A foul taste.
• Pain when you bite down.
• Intense pain that doesn’t go away.
• Bumps or “pimples” on the gums.
• Noticeable pits or holes in the teeth

2 – Mind your brushing, flossing habits

Ensure you are brushing and flossing not only consistently, but also properly. Often, the patients who find us or who are referred to us may think they are brushing and flossing correctly. However, they may fail to brush thoroughly each time. They may miss sides of the teeth when flossing. Or, they may brush and floss too aggressively, which can thin enamel and break down the supportive tissues. Dental professionals like us are trained to identify areas for improvement when it comes to hygiene, and we can demonstrate and advise on ways to improve your home care. These steps protect against future infections and damage to the teeth, gums, and other parts of the mouth.

3 – Be gentle to your teeth.

Any time excessive force is placed on the teeth, it can threaten them and restorations that may be placed following endodontic treatment at our office. If it’s suspected that you grind your teeth at night when sleeping, consider a custom-fit dental nightguard. These appliances are easy to wear and protect your teeth and tissues from fractures and other damage caused by the extreme force associated with grinding teeth. Dr. Davis also commonly treats urgent oral injuries and trauma that may occur during sports activities. If you engage in contact sports, consider a professional mouthguard. These guards are custom fit to your mouth, so they provide optimal protection and are comfortable to wear when on the rink, court, or field.

4 – Always follow any instructions provided by the pros

If your dentist notices early enamel erosion or gingival inflammation, take any products or medications as prescribed, and engage in care as instructed. These minor problems can progress into cavities and more extensive damage, the type that needs treatment to preserve the tooth and avoid its extraction. When you call us for urgent guidance, also follow all instructions provided by us on how to care for your mouth and ease pain. For instance, we can advise on how to store and handle a knocked-out tooth. This handling helps to support our ability to preserve the avulsed tooth. And, after any surgical or nonsurgical endodontic procedures at our office, maintain follow-up appointments and services as noted in your instructions. For example, it’s crucial to restore or strengthen the tooth with a dental crown following root canal therapy. This must be done without delay, because your tooth remains vulnerable to reinfection and may not heal properly otherwise.

Soft Touch Endodontics is proud to support our neighbors in Alpharetta and Suwanee, GA, and beyond in their time of need. We also enjoy guiding our neighbors to prevent severe or painful conditions that might mean emergency root canal treatment. Call (770) 831-7644 to share your concerns or specific questions with us.

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