As the period of self-isolation becomes longer, more and more patients are becoming concerned about missing their cleanings and checkups. I personally am covering an emergency center a few days a week. I’ve been taking calls to do virtual triaging, and when necessary I’ve seen patients for emergencies. These are the trends I’m seeing.
1. Swollen gums. You know that witty banter you make with your hygienist about needing to floss more? Well, you should at least start now. Your toothbrush just isn’t able to clean between your teeth. Plaque sits there and causes inflammation, making your gums painful and puffy. Your body reacts even more strongly when you’re stressed. What used to be a little bleeding when you brushed can turn into real pain.
Right now we have all the time in the world. I would recommend brushing and flossing after every meal! You heard that right- every time you eat, get the food bits out of your teeth. Floss first, then brush for a 2 minutes. Most electric toothbrushes have an internal timer. If not, set a timer. This is the amount of time needed to allow the fluoride in your toothpaste to infiltrate your enamel.
The floss brand I recommend to all my patients is Cocofloss. It’s a woven floss that scrubs really well between the teeth and its also coated with coconut oil. Coconut oil has shown in several studies to have the same degree of antibacterial strength as Chlorhexidine (a common prescription rinse for periodontal disease). The residue that is left from the floss does an excellent job of killing bacteria living in these tough-to-reach spots. Cocofloss hasn’t released any official studies but in my patients it has stopped bleeding gums in 4 days (rather than 10 for waxed floss). If you haven’t tried it, you can order on Amazon here.
2. Worried about cavities. A lot of the patients I‘ve spoken with are worried that they tend to get cavities often. They are fearful that their checkups are being delayed and they might develop some deeper cavities. If this sounds like you, your enamel might be a little “softer” than the average, or there might be something in your diet that is weakening your teeth. For my patients that tend toward cavities, I prescribe a concentrated fluoride toothpaste. There are several brands, the most common are President and Fluoridex. If you’re able to get in touch with your dentist, have them call in a prescription for you. If not, there is an over the counter fluoride rinse called ACT that is not as strong, but it is better than no rinse at all!
3. CRACKED TEETH. By and large, the most common emergency I am seeing is cracked teeth. Sometimes a piece of tooth breaks off, or a filling breaks, or the tooth cracks but is still intact. All are painful, some can be fixed. Most can be prevented. While some of these cracked teeth are due to a trauma or accident, the majority are from clenching and grinding teeth. The thing with grinding or clenching your teeth is that it is a trauma that occurs over a long period of time. You yourself will probably not notice any pain until it has caused significant damage. So let’s run through a quick diagnosis:
– has your dentist ever told you to get a nightguard?
– has your partner or roommate ever said they heard you chewing at night?
– do you get tension headaches or neck aches?
– do your front teeth have a flattened appearance or little chips on the edges?
– if you massage your jaw muscles with your knuckles are there any muscle knots?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, step out to the pharmacy and pick up a dental guard from the toothpaste aisle. These are temporary nightguards. They are soft and flexible little plastic pieces that you put between your teeth while you sleep so you grind on the plastic instead of your own teeth. These temporary nightguards will not help your jaw muscles relax, and they will not ease your headaches. What they will do is keep your teeth separated at night so you don’t crack them and end up with a painful and expensive emergency.
Hopefully this information will keep all of your mouths healthy and stable until you can see your dentist again. I know I speak for all of your doctors when I say we worry about you all the time and hope you’re all staying safe at home. If you have any specific questions, the fastest way to reach me is through Instagram DM @drbrittanydickinson
