Having good oral health habits is important, but what can you do if you can’t get into the dentist immediately? While there’s no substitution for preventative care, home remedies might serve you pretty well, especially in the interim before you can get to your dentist.
Knocked out and Broken Teeth
There’s nothing worse than falling. Except, maybe losing a tooth, especially the front. Losing teeth is a huge emergency, but if you need to wait before getting care, here’s a few ways to minimize overall damage.
For baby teeth, you don’t need to take action. In fact, it might even be knocked inside and will re-emerge later on.
But for adult teeth, rinse this in water, but do not touch the root. Put the tooth back in the socket if you can till you get to the socket. If it can be put back in, there’s a better chance it will survive. Never let the tooth dry out.
If you cannot put the tooth back into the socket, place it in water then get to the dentist.
If the tooth is cracked and broken, but not totally dislodged, try to get all of the pieces that are broken. There is a chance that you can repair this tooth with bonding using the fragments you originally lost.
Canker Sores and ulcers
Sores and ulcers are painful and can really stink! If you have one, but don’t want to go to the dentist yet, or you can’t get in, use warm water and salt rinses to soothe that discomfort. Oragel is also great for reducing the pain, however make sure that the area is dried before you apply the product.
Try to avoid salty and spicy foods, as this will exacerbate the inflamed tissues in many instances.
Yellowed Mouthguards
Mouth guards are great for protecting the mouth, but you want a mouth guard that isn’t yellowed and gross.
Not just because it looks nasty, but if you don’t take care of it, you’re going to introduce the bacteria into the body and mouth, which puts you at risk for diseases.
The best solution is to brush the mouthguard with some baking soda and water on some toothpaste. Make sure that the brush is only used for this. along with it, soak the mouthguard in a rinse every other day for about 30 minutes.
Do not use blue mouthwash, unless of course, you want a blue appliance!
Make sure monthly you do a deeper cleaning by using a solution that’s a third bleach, and two-thirds cold water for a few hours. Rinse it in a thorough manner, then submerge this again for another half hour. Then, put the mouthguard in a mouth rinse for another 30 or so minutes. Then, let it air dry after you’re done cleaning it.
As of note, NEVER put the mouthguard in some boiling water, the dishwasher, or microwave. When you don’t wear it, keep it in safe locations for pets and children.
Bad Breath
Finally, you’ve got bad breath, which might be due to food, but also might be because there’s something else going on there. it can be an indication of gum disease or GERD, or it might just be dry mouth. Take care of your teeth through brushing and flossing, but if it’s still lingering, utilize essential oils to mask the scent, and gargle with a drop of this inside a cup of water. If certain medications are causing this, then you should talk to your dentist, and get an appointment to help with offsetting these major issues too. n
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