Tooth Troubles
White Tooth Dental Takeaways:
Any tooth or mouth concern should be looked at by a dentist as soon as possible- please seek out help immediately.
In particular:
- swelling: inside your mouth (along or below the gums, the roof of your mouth, under your tongue) or outside of your face can be signs of varying degrees of infection and need to be addressed urgently
- knocked out tooth (or “avulsion”): if you are not able/ comfortable to “reimplant” the tooth into it’s socket, the best way to keep the tooth as healthy as possible is to gently remove any obvious dirt and debris and to place the tooth in Hank’s Balanced salt solution (HBSS) (which can be found at your local drug store, though it may be a little effort. It is critical to see a dentist immediately- the success rate for a knocked out tooth surviving dramatically decreases as length of time out of the mouth increases. If you (or your children) are invoices in sports, having a dental “emergency kit” with a jar of HBSS is a great idea!
A note about “bleeding gums”- for the average person, bleeding gums indicate gum inflammation in response to bacteria in your gums, which is gingivitis. Healthy gums should not bleed at all with toothbrushing or flossing- even if it has been less than 3 weeks. Though it is common that bleeding happens when restarting an oral hygiene regimen like flossing or brushing more thoroughly- it is not technically “normal” and a sign of gum inflammation disease (ie. gingivitis) and a sign that you are doing the right thing, so keep at it and the blessing will stop with diligent care
There are some health issues that can cause bleeding gums, so if you are concerned that the bleeding is too heavy or going on for too long, make sure to see your dentist.
A note about “sensitive teeth”- though cavities and gum disease are reasons for sensitivity, there are many, many others too. Clenching/ grinding (or other bite issues), cracked teeth, gum recession are other common reasons and are particularly common post-COVID (stress can definitely take it’s toll on your teeth).