Dental emergencies should not be taken lightly. Although not all dental ‘troubles’ equate to an emergency trip to the dentist, it is still important that proper handling of such situation could mean the difference between saving a person’s tooth or losing a tooth.

A dental emergency is one that requires immediate medical attention, like a blow to the head resulting to a broken tooth or a fractured jaw. Abscessed tooth that is accompanied with pain, fever, or swelling, is actually just as serious and it requires immediate treatment.

Types of Dental Emergencies

Knocked-Out Tooth also known as avulsed tooth usually happens when the tooth falls out of the mouth. It is a common accident, especially among children, sports related activities and even on the road. Ninety percent of this tooth could have been saved and reinstated back if proper preservation technique has been used during the time of the accident. Parents, caregivers or people present during the accident usually bring the knocked-out tooth to the dentist in the hope that it can be replanted. However, generally if the initial necessary steps to keep the tooth viable for replantation is not taken, the chances of a successful replantation of the knocked-out tooth becomes minimal or at most zero.

Generally, the public understanding is that submerging the tooth in milk will preserve it. The truth is that the main component of our tooth is enamel. It is one of the hardest substances in our body. However, once the tooth is out of a person’s mouth, it begins to die. This happens in just 15 minutes. Frequently, without proper storage, within two hours the tooth is dead. For the tooth to be successfully replanted, the periodontal ligament has to be kept alive. This periodontal ligament is a thin layer of cells surrounding the tooth.

A device was developed by Dr Paul R. Krasner, a professor at Temple University School of Dentistry. This patented 6-part system is a good way to keep the tooth alive during a knocked-out accident and during transportation from the accident venue to the dentist.

Dr Krasner’s system addresses the two primary causes of replanted tooth loss:

• tooth cell crushing (especially during transportation from accident venue to the dentist)

• tooth cell dehydration

The system uses a scientifically engineered removable basket to suspend the tooth in a formulated pH balanced fluid. It helps to keep the tooth in a safe environment, which prevents additional trauma. A tooth that has been out of a person’s mouth, when placed in the solution within 2 hours can be preserved for up to four days. This will give doctors time to utilize the tooth while repairing the external injury. The system is called Save-A-Tooth. It is recommended by Clinical Research Associates and the Emergency Research Council Institute and is endorsed by the American Dental Association. It is also the only tooth preserving system that is approved by FDA. In clinical studies, it has been shown to be 91% successful.

Fractured jaw – Are you having a broken jaw? How do you know? This dental emergency usually is accompanied with a pain and the inability to use the jaw. The way your teeth bite together, will also feel different. You need to immobilize the injured jaw and please do not move your mouth. It is also advised that you tie a piece of cloth around your jaw. Rush to your dentist or a hospital A & E immediately. Do not delay. The teeth may either be wired together to give the bones a chance to unite or the bones may be surgically put back in place.

Abscess tooth is an infection in either the tooth or the gum. Pain, swelling and discharge of pus are symptoms of an abscess tooth. This type of infection will not heal on its own and ignoring it could eventually affect the neighboring teeth and a person’s health in general. An abscessed tooth may be saved through root canal treatment or gum therapy. As a last resort, it may be extracted. For temporary pain relief, take panadol, aspirin, paracetamol.

Chipped, loosened tooth or broken tooth. Sometimes, this type of dental emergency does not come with pain. However, it is still important to see a dentist as soon as possible. Clean the injured area with warm water and use a cold compress to bring down the swelling. Don’t throw away any pieces of the broken tooth. Bring it and show it to your dentist. Sometimes, fragments of the broken tooth can be bonded back into the injured tooth.

A loose tooth may be due to injury or it is a sign of gum disease. The nerve in the injured tooth could be damage and could eventually die. This will then cause the tooth to discolor.

Toothache should never be ignored or taken lightly even if the pain is bearable and happen only for a short period of time. Toothache could mean there is cavity in the tooth or an abscess.

Do not crush an aspirin against the aching tooth because it may chemically burn the gums. Take panadol, paracetamol or a pain reliever. Please avoid extremely cold, hot or sweet foods and drinks. It is advisable to rinse your mouth with warm water and use dental floss to remove food particles from the tooth. However, this is just a temporary relief. Always, always visit your dentist as soon as possible.

You can also download a copy of KEEP IT HANDY - Emergency Steps for Saving a Knocked-Out Tooth instruction leaflet from the web.

Although tooth brushing seems to be something that you shouldn’t even pay attention to when doing it, there are a few things to consider if you wish to maximize the efficiency of your brushing. Begin by selecting toothpaste that works well for your teeth. Combined with correct tooth brushing, you can eliminate negative factors such as tooth decay, gum diseases, tooth loss and bad breath. Toothpaste that contains fluoride makes the teeth a lot more resistant to decay and aids in repairing early decay of the tooth enamel before the problem starts to develop. Plaque and stains may also be removed in time by certain polishing ingredients found in some toothpaste products. Good toothpaste will also leave your mouth feeling fresh for at least an hour or two.

Selecting toothpaste

It is up to you to make a choice in determining your favorite toothpaste. You can go with a gel or paste and there is a huge variety of flavors – select the one you like and then consult with your dentist to see if the active ingredients in the product are effective. In fact, it is a great idea to select your toothpaste with your dentist’s advice. Don’t use a lot of toothbrush for one brushing – simply place an amount comparable in size to a pea and proceed brushing your teeth. When you brush your teeth try to do it at a 45-degree angle, directing the motion of the brush towards the gum line. Make sure to brush the front and back of your teeth, but do not neglect their backside. If you want to teach your child to brush their teeth effectively, only use small amounts of toothpaste – look for toothpaste specially designed for children under the age of six in stores for best results. As far as brushing duration is concerned, you can try to keep brushing your teeth for about three minutes.

Selecting your toothbrush It is also important to get a toothbrush that will work well with your teeth type and gums. The average brush has approximately 2,500 bristles that are grouped into tufts. The tufts are folded and placed into holes in the head of the brush and fixed in place. The handle is made of plastic and rubber for increased grip and hand comfort. A toothbrush with a smaller head is often recommended, since it allows you to reach every portion of the back side of your teeth as well. The handle length is also important from this perspective – it should be long enough for you to reach all corners of your mouth. If you are having difficulties gripping the smaller and thinner handles, you can always go for a thick handle toothbrush.

Correcting bad teeth does not end with wearing braces. Maintenance and oral hygiene are just as important to having a straight and healthy smile. In this article, we offer you tips on how to properly care for your teeth with braces through the use of specialty products like braces toothbrush and dental wax.

What is Braces Toothbrush?

Braces tootbrush is exactly what its name suggests. It is a special type of toothbrush for use by those who are wearing braces.

If you have worn braces before, then you know how it difficult it can be to maneuver around the wires and bands of your braces with just a regular toothbrush. It is very important to keep your teeth and braces clean but you cannot do this if you are not using a special product that is designed to overcome the difficulty of brushing teeth with braces.

Braces toothbrushes are often angled at the handle and the head for better maneuvering. They also have softer, rounded-end bristles for use in brushing the gums, which must be kept clean as well. Soft, because your gums are sensitive and may easily get irritated by hard bristles, especially when you apply vigorous pressure while brushing.

How to Use Braces Toothbrush

One important thing to remember about braces toothbrush is that using them may take longer than when you are using regular toothbrush. As a matter of fact, brushing may take longer when you have braces than when you had none.

First, hold the braces toothbrush against the gum, not against the braces. Then, gently wriggle the head around, creating small circles. This will remove any food particles or plaque that gathers around the base of the teeth.

Next, push the bristles of the braces toothbrush under the wires. Start from above and then do the same thing from below. This will remove food and more plaque that gather under the wires where a regular toothbrush could not reach.

Note that you have to push the bristles under the wires for this to work. You won’t get the same results if you are only brushing against the top and bottom of the braces as food particles tend to collect under the wires of your braces.

You will notice that a lot more food particles are left in your mouth when you are wearing braces. This is because food has the tendency to get stuck in the wires. This is, in fact, the reason why wearing braces means spending more time and effort to keep your teeth clean.

Maintaining a good oral hygiene routine of cleaning your teeth with braces toothbrush helps prevent tooth decay. After brushing, rinse your mouth well to get rid of the particles that get dislodged from under the wires.

Brushing your teeth is extremely important to their health and well being. You probably already know this and know that you need to do it regularly. But do you know how to brush your teeth? You might be surprised to find that you are brushing your teeth wrong. Improper teeth brushing can be ineffective or worse yet, it can actually hurt you. Keep reading and see if you are brushing correctly.

The first thing you need to do is select a quality toothbrush of the correct stiffness. Don’t cheap out here, buy a good toothbrush with the seal of the American Dental Association on it. You want a brush with rounded bristles and one that is soft. Be careful not to choose one that is too hard as it can actually hurt you. A hard toothbrush over the years can actually cause gums to recede and wear your teeth over time. Also remember to replace your toothbrush at least every three months.

Now that you have a good toothbrush we can begin brushing. Place the toothbrush in your mouth, after applying toothpaste, and gently brush the teeth by making a small circular motion. Brush the top teeth on the up stroke and the bottom teeth on the down stroke. Work from right to left and then move to the back of your teeth. Gently massage your gums with the bristles of the brush being careful not to scrub too hard. After you have hit the front and the back you can then brush the top of the back teeth. Finish up by brushing your tongue which is the biggest bacteria trap in your mouth and you are done.

That just about covers brushing but remember, brushing alone is not enough. Follow that up by flossing your teeth, scraping your tongue if you have a scraper on your toothbrush and by using a good mouthwash. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your family dentist for help.

The toothbrush is an important usable cleaning instrument, which we use regularly. Most people start their morning with the use of a toothbrush. It is not confirmed when the first toothbrush was invented, however it is supposed that around 3000 BC the first toothbrush came up in the form of a chew stick, which was used by ancient civilians. It was in the shape of a slim stick with a frayed end. Another early form of toothbrush was the bristle toothbrush. It was similar to what we use today, but this toothbrush was made up of solid hog’s hairs connected to a handle made of bamboo or bone. The nylon-bristled toothbrush was introduced in 1938, and was rapidly accepted due to its good oral hygiene quality.

A revolution came in the market of America with the origin of electric toothbrushes in 1960. These toothbrushes were sold and produced on a mass level throughout the country.

Initially, the electronic toothbrush along with charger was invented in 1939 in Switzerland, but it did not come out in the open market until 1960. It was in 1961 when the company ‘General Electric’ came up with the rechargeable cordless toothbrush. The first rotary toothbrush, called the ‘Interplak’ became available to the general public in 1987. It was available in different models and varieties. It was believed that the Interplak was capable to eliminate plaque, and could prevent gingival bleeding better than other manual toothbrushes.

Nowadays, a number of varieties of toothbrushes can be found in the market at a large scale. Toothbrushes are used with fluoride for cleaning. Generally, dentists recommend the use of soft toothbrushes because hard toothbrushes can cause damage to your teeth. Soft bristles are also considered good at eliminating plaque and debris from the teeth. Besides this, dentists recommend the use of a small-handled toothbrush, as it can reach easily at each and every corner of your mouth. Toothbrushes are generally made of synthetic materials.

As there is such a wide variety of toothbrushes available today, this can create confusion for you when buying. Therefore it is necessary to consider that what kind of toothbrush will best suit your teeth. As an alternative, you can also use a powered toothbrush for cleaning your teeth, especially if you experience difficulties during brushing. You should replace your toothbrush within three months.

It is important that you are using a good quality toothbrush and changing it frequently. Undoubtedly, you would not like to have any diseases in your teeth, so by brushing regularly you can maintain healthy teeth as well as an attractive smile.