| Action Plan for Summer Activities |
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Summer's here and with it a delightful trove of outdoor activities from plunging into a cool lake to playing softball at the local park to riding horses, rafting, hiking, and ATVs.
But what about the beating your body takes when you're having so much fun? Often, it's the face that gets it when there's an accident. So, what do you do?
Well, of course we encourage you to use a mouth guard during recreational activities to avoid these injuries altogether. But here are a few guidelines for dealing with facial injuries should they occur:
Broken jaw: control the swelling by using a cold compress and either contact us or the hospital emergency room.
Knocked out tooth: gently rinse the root in water being careful to keep all tissue fragments intact and then reinsert it into its socket. If you can't re-insert it, put it in a cup of milk. Regardless, you should contact us immediately.
Broken tooth: rinse your mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. Contact us immediately.
Bitten lip or tongue: clean the area thoroughly and apply a cold compress if there is swelling. Go to the hospital emergency room if you can't stop the bleeding.
Objects caught between your teeth: using dental floss rather than a sharp instrument, gently try to remove the object. You can even tie a knot in the floss and gently drag the knot side-to-side to help dislodge it. If you can't get it out, contact us and we can help.
If you have an emergency, please do not hesitate to call us. We are more than willing to make time in our schedule to see you or to provide advice on how to proceed.
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| "Bug Out" With Floss!
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Ever hear of a Bug-Out Bag? I just recently learned about these. Apparently many people feel that a large scale disaster (whether natural or man-made) is going to happen in the US within our lifetime and they have these bags – called Bug-Out Bags – packed with necessities in case they need to "Bug Out" of town or their home in a hurry. I'm not going to get into the plausibility of a catastrophic event, but I do think it's a good idea to have a beefed up first-aid kit of sorts in your car. You never know when you might get stranded somewhere or if you'll run across someone who needs your help. Besides bandages, your kit should include a pack of floss (not floss picks). I know y'all get sick of me telling you to floss, but when you're in a pinch, you'll be glad you had that floss in your kit.
Here are some great alternative uses for floss:
Use as a clothesline; to sew; replace a shoelace; keep a rope from unraveling; as fishing line; to cut fruits, breads, and cheeses; as support for climbing plants on a trellis; and as a hair tie.
Plus, I'm sure with all of your creative juices you guys can come up with many other emergency uses. So, if you haven't already, make sure you have an emergency kit in your vehicle and if you'd like some ideas of other things to include in your kit feel free to email me and I'd be glad to help you out.
Keep smiling and stay safe!
-Jocelyn Codington, RDH
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| Super-Clean Your Dentures |
Over-the-counter products give your dentures a clean appearance but, with normal use, dentures will eventually lose that "clean-and-new" look. We may be able to restore that like-new look for your dentures at no charge!
As you use your dentures, plaque and calculus accumulate, especially where the white denture teeth meet the pink base acrylic. The buildup in these areas is often stained and unsightly. Call for an appointment or simply stop by and we will give your dentures an ultrasonic bath! It's free, done while you wait, and only takes about 10 minutes.
Some advocate microwaving or otherwise using heat to clean dentures. In our experience heating can cause your denture to warp to the point where it no longer fits. Ultrasonic cleaning uses safe sound waves to break up and eliminate the plaque, calculus, and stains without heating your denture.
Ultrasonic cleaning is safe for all types of dentures including full dentures, partial dentures, orthodontic retainers, flippers, nightguards, and sportsguards. Many of these contain metal parts which don't belong in microwaves. |
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