Avoiding a (tooth)Break During Summer Break!

Summer is a time of relaxation and enjoying the simpler things in life, right? Right! However, summer is not the best time to break a tooth. So here are a few tips to help you and, the kids in your life, to protect your teeth over the summer break!

1. Invest in a mouthguard for your sport-playing kids! This is the time when baseball might be wrapping up but soccer and football are getting ready to start. Whatever the sport, if there is a chance of physical contact or ball-to-head contact, you should invest in a mouthguard for your child. While you can buy these from a local drug store, we recommend that you check with your dentist about making a custom mouth guard for your child. These will fit better, accommodate braces, if necessary, and they will protect your child’s jaw joint, or TMJ. 
2. Drink water! At Grand Avenue Dental Care, we continue to come back to this. Drinking water throughout the day can help your mouth get back to a neutral pH level and can help protect our teeth from possible decay. In addition, snacking on something like cheese can also help neutralize acidic levels in your mouth from things like fresh fruit, coffee, beer or other delicious summer treats. 
3. Consider an Occlusal Guard. This is similar to the mouthguard mentioned above, but this one is meant for anyone who has a crown or a bridge in their mouth. An occlusal guard protects both your crown, or bridge, and your natural teeth. Typically this is worn at night-time, when it is more common for people to clench or grind their teeth. The occlusal guard prevents the crown from wearing on your natural teeth and protects the crown as well. This is a great investment to protect the work you might have already done in your mouth.

Taking care of your teeth in the summer, and year-round, mostly comes down to your at-home care and what you do to protect your teeth between dental visits. However, if you ever have a question about your teeth, or your loved one's teeth, don’t hesitate to ask any of us at Grand Avenue Dental Care!

Help! I broke my tooth!

Whether you are seeing a dentist regularly or not, changes in your dental health or even dental emergencies can pop up. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, we recommend that you call your dentist as soon as possible, so that you can be treated and given the care that you need. 

Help! I … 

… broke my tooth!

A broken tooth can mean a wide variety of treatment, depending on the severity of the break. Sometimes a chip or a small break can be treated with a simple filling. A bigger break in the tooth might require something more like a crown. There are also certain times in which a tooth cannot be saved and would need to be removed. However, at Grand Avenue Dental Care, we are in the business of saving your teeth, so we will do everything we can to help you with a broken tooth!

… have sore gums!

Sore or bleeding gums are abnormal and should never be considered part of your brushing or flossing routine. If you are experiencing either of these symptoms, schedule an appointment with your dentist. It could be something as simple as having something stuck in your gums or it could be a sign of periodontal disease, such as gingivitis or periodontitis. Periodontal disease is treatable, but the earlier you can treat it, the better.

… have soreness in my jaw!

A sore jaw can be attributed to a couple of things. It could be that you simply strained the muscles of your joint and it will feel better in a couple days. However, if you are having soreness or pain in your jaw joint that doesn’t go away, or comes and goes frequently, you should schedule an exam with your dentist. Sometimes this is a sign of grinding your teeth while you sleep or clenching during stress. Either way, this can affect your tempera-mandibular joint (TMJ) and it is something your dentist can help you with before it becomes more problematic. 

At Grand Avenue Dental Care, regardless of what your dental concern is, we are here to help you through the process. With our caring staff and the latest in dental technologies, such as 3D x-ray, we make the process as less-invasive, caring and efficient as possible. Call us today if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms!