Are you experiencing a sudden onset of pain in your mouth or a cracked tooth keeping you up all night? Many will try to alleviate these kinds of dental emergencies on their own with home remedies, but why suffer when finding after-hours dental care is easy if you know where to look?
A Dental emergency can leave a patient feeling anxious depending on the severity of the emergency. The last thing you want to think about is where to find the best emergency dentist in your area when you have tooth pain. Skip the home remedies and seek immediate attention to avoid future dental issues.
Dealing With A Non-Life Threatening Dental Emergency
The first thing to consider when dealing with any kind of dental emergency is how severe the issue is. Dental emergencies can range from a painful cavity that will keep you up all night to a broken crown or molar that needs emergency repair.
If your dental emergency is life-threatening you should call 911 right away, rather than a dentist. For everything else, an emergency dentist is a good place to start.
People visit an emergency dentist for many reasons:
The city of Colorado Springs is like any other city when it comes to connecting with a dentist for emergency dental care. Most people will Google a dentist when dental emergencies occur or contact their insurance carrier however this can lead to confusion as to not knowing who is a good urgent care dentist and who is the best emergency dentist.
When you contact an emergency dentist you will want to ask a few questions:
Does the dentist accept your insurance?
Can you be seen in an efficient manner?
Does the dentist specialize in the injury or issue you are experiencing?
Is the emergency life-threatening?
Is your jaw, gumline, or teeth fractured?
Lost a crown or filling because of an accident?
Do you have a tooth abscess?
Do you have a serious tooth infection?
Are you experiencing a root canal issue or abscess gums?
At times an emergency requires you to visit a dentist that might cost more or doesn’t accept your insurance. If you can stand to wait and call around you may save money by using an in-network dental office but this is sometimes not ideal depending on your emergency.
You will also want to know how long it will take to be seen. There is nothing worse than sitting around with oral discomfort or jarring pain. Get an estimate of time so you can make a good decision on choosing the right emergency dental office for you.
Lastly, is your injury unique? Most injuries are, but you will want to know if the dentist who will be working with you specializes in your type of dental emergency. Obviously, if you are an adult, visiting a pediatric dentist for an emergency is not ideal but could work in a pinch.
Briargate Dental Center Offers Professional Emergency Dental Care
Whether you are a new patient or a current patient, Briargate Dental Center in Colorado Springs offers the best emergency dental care in the city. Our experienced dentists specialize in many common dental emergencies. We offer same-day appointments as well as after-hours care in the event that you suffer a dental emergency during non-business hours.
If you happen to live in or visit Colorado Springs during a dental emergency and need dental care, the Briargate Dental Center for urgent dental care is only a phone call away for an emergency appointment.
BDC welcomes dental insurance from many providers and is here for your urgent dental needs. Our emergency dentist has been voted “Top Dentist in Colorado Springs” by Colorado Style Magazine. We take great care when it comes to your comfort and oral health.
Any emergency dentist should have access to the latest dental technologies as well as offer convenient care, which at Briargate Dental Center, we take great pride in.
Emergency Dental Services in Colorado Springs
The professional dentists at Briargate Dental Center provide the best emergency dental care in Colorado Springs, CO. In business for over a decade, we have a history of excellent emergency dental care.
Our emergency dental care solutions have helped many patients in successful treatment by alleviating the pain associated with the emergency as well as further treatment plans to stabilize and resolve the dental issue.
Equipped with the latest technology and the latest education is what makes Briargate Dental Center the 24/7 dentist that Colorado Springs counts on.
Give us a call if you are experiencing a dental emergency and our staff will guide you through the process so you only have to worry about getting better.
Children do not know how to brush their teeth or hold a brush so it is vital to teach your children about proper oral care. Kids Brushing their teeth is something they should learn and practice from early on for them to keep the teeth and gums healthy. As a parent, you understand that it’s a battle with your child to maintain their hygiene, especially brushing their teeth.
Not only do you want your children to keep their teeth clean for health reasons, but healthy teeth will help you avoid expensive trips to your Colorado Springs Dentist due to teeth problems. Also, good oral hygiene is one of the factors for the strong health of the kids. Protecting their teeth, mouth, and gums early on will lead to better health as they grow into adulthood. Establishing oral care for your kids early on is essential, but many parents find it hard to do.
More than half of children aged 6 to 8 have had a cavity in at least one of their baby (primary) teeth.
More than half of adolescents aged 12 to 19 have had a cavity in at least one of their permanent teeth.
Children aged 5 to 19 years from low-income families are twice as likely (25%) to have cavities, compared with children from higher-income households (11%).
But the good news is that cavities are preventable. Fluoride varnish can prevent about one-third (33%) of cavities in the primary (baby) teeth.3 Children living in communities with fluoridated tap water have fewer cavities than children whose water is not fluoridated.4 Similarly, children who brush daily with fluoride toothpaste will have fewer cavities.5
This article discusses fun tips you can follow to establish a solid oral care culture for your kids.
Tips on Teaching Kids About Brushing
Brush your teeth together
One of the ways you can instill strong dental hygiene practices in your child is by brushing your teeth together. Parents should make brushing time fun and turn it into bonding time with their kids. You can ask them to follow what you do; as a result, they will enjoy it and learn how to do it correctly. This method will ensure they brush for the recommended time under your supervision.
Make it a routine from an early age.
For the kids to know how to brush their teeth properly, let them do it from an early age. Doing it every day from an early age instills a routine, and they will become comfortable doing it regularly.
The parents should work together and teach them the importance of brushing their teeth daily. Also, teach them the effects of not doing it, like the formation of cavities on the teeth, bad breath, and tooth decay. This makes them willing to do it rather than experience the effects of avoiding it.
Allow them to pick their favorite toothbrush and paste.
When you want to buy a toothbrush or paste for your child, take them to the store and allow them to pick their favorite ones. With so many color patterns and designs, let them choose different colors that they can choose whenever they want. Also, make sure you buy different flavors since some aren’t enjoyable for them when brushing. This will make the process enjoyable when choosing the brushes and paste they like.
Compliment their brushing skills every time.
When parents compliment a child whenever they do something good, it usually motivates them and boosts their morale. As a parent, it is recommended that you always complement your brushing skills and encourage them to do it every day. It is a great way to establish a strong oral care culture that will follow throughout their lives.
Let them play pretend on stuffed dolls.
If the children have stuffed animals or dolls, let them practice brushing their teeth on them. It would be best if you showed them how to do it on their toys using the proper technique. They will master the proper methods to do it and replicate the process when brushing their teeth.
Use correct tools
Kids will enjoy brushing their teeth if you use the correct kids’ brush and kids’ toothpaste. There will be less struggle if they use A toothbrush that is easy to handle and maneuver and a tooth that tastes good for them. You can allow them to use a toothbrush with a timer to alert them whenever they brush for 2 minutes.
Bottom line
Establishing routine oral care for your kids should not be a problem for you as a parent. When your kids develop their teeth, it’s essential to have regular visits to the dentist for them to have good dental hygiene. Contact us at Briargate Dental to book an appointment or get help in creating oral care for your child.
Since most people will experience some sort of tooth extraction in their lifetime, it’s essential to know what to expect and how to prepare. This article will cover the basics of tooth extractions, including what happens after the procedure and how to care for your wound and manage any discomfort you may experience. We hope this information helps make your experience as smooth as possible and helps to avoid further visits to the dentist in your area.
Caring for a Tooth Extraction
After tooth extraction, it’s essential to care for the extraction site properly. This will help ensure that the area heals properly and doesn’t become infected. Here are some tips for caring for your extraction site:
Brush your teeth gently with a soft toothbrush. Avoid brushing near the extraction site.
Rinse your mouth with warm salt water or an antiseptic mouthwash immediately after the procedure. Do this several times a day, especially after meals, to keep the area clean and free from infection. This helps reduce inflammation.
Avoid Spit tobacco, alcohol, and carbonated beverages for at least 24 hours.
Take over-the-counter pain medication as needed to help with discomfort. Ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) are typically effective.
Apply ice to the outside of your cheek for 20 minutes to reduce swelling. Repeat as needed, but do not put ice directly on your skin.
Avoid drinking through a straw, smoking, and eating crunchy or hard foods for at least 24 hours after the extraction. They can dislodge the blood clot that forms in the socket leading to delayed healing.
The Mouth’s Alignment
It is also essential to be aware of how your tooth extraction might affect the alignment of your teeth. If you have had a back tooth (molar) extracted, there is a chance that the teeth adjacent to the empty space may shift into the open space. This can cause problems with chewing and may also affect your appearance.
Your dentist may place a dental appliance called a space maintainer in the empty space to prevent the missing tooth to cause poor alignment. The space maintainer is a custom-made device that helps keep the teeth in their proper position until the permanent tooth erupts.
When sleeping, prop your head up with pillows to keep your head elevated and reduce swelling.
– Signs of healing: In the first few days after an extraction, it’s normal to have some bleeding and swelling. The bleeding should gradually lessen, and the swelling should go down after a few days. Other signs that the extraction site is healing properly include:
A decrease in bleeding
The formation of a blood clot in the empty socket
Reduced pain and discomfort
When to Call Your Dentist
It is normal to experience some swelling, bruising, and bleeding after tooth extraction. However, if you experience any of the following, you should contact your dentist:
If you have increasing pain that is not relieved by over-the-counter medication
If you have a fever over 101 degrees Fahrenheit
If you cannot control bleeding by biting on gauze
If you notice any foul smells or drainage from the extraction site
If you develop new symptoms like numbness, tingling, or swelling beyond the original extraction site
4 Crucial Post-Extraction Tips
1. Watch for signs of infection:
If you have severe pain, bleeding that doesn’t stop, or pus coming from the extraction site, call your dentist right away. These symptoms may intensify or cause you to develop a fever, which could indicate an infection.
2. Keep your mouth clean:
Be sure to brush and floss your teeth regularly, even around the extraction site. This will assist in keeping the area clean and preventing infection.
3. Eat soft foods:
For the first few days after an extraction, stick to soft foods like soup, pudding, and mashed potatoes. Avoid hard or crunchy foods that could irritate the extraction site.
4. See your dentist for follow-up appointments:
Your dentist will likely schedule a follow-up appointment 1-2 weeks after tooth extraction to ensure the extraction site is healing properly. They will check on the healing process at this appointment and remove any stitches if necessary.
They may also give you additional instructions on caring for the extraction site as it continues to heal.
Bottom Line
When caring for tooth extraction, following your dentist’s post-operative instructions is of utmost importance—taking care of yourself in the days and weeks after your extraction can ensure that the healing process goes as smoothly as possible. The tips above can help ensure that your tooth extraction heals appropriately and doesn’t become infected.
If you have any questions or concerns about your recovery, or if you’re experiencing any dental problems, don’t hesitate to call us here at Briargate Dental. We’re always happy to help and we’ll guide you through every step of the way! Thank you for choosing Briargate Dental!
Missing teeth are common and come from several causes. Many people think that a missing natural tooth is only about appearance, but it’s also about caring for your other existing teeth and overall mouth and dental health.
Teeth Can Shift Around Other Missing Teeth
For those that aren’t dentists, we tend to think of teeth as rooted in place, and, while this is true, it’s not quite as firm as we think. According to the American College of Prosthodontists, “More than 36 million Americans do not have any teeth, and 120 million people in the U.S. are missing at least one tooth.” and this number is expected to rise over the next 20 years.
So What should you do if you are missing a tooth? Call your dentist!
Missing teeth happen from decay, gum disease, injury, cancer, or simply wear and tear. Because tendons and nerves keep your teeth in place, your teeth can move. This is especially true when extra space appears in your mouth, such as when it happens with a missing tooth.
This gives other teeth the opportunity to shift over time slowly and discreetly which leaves teeth crooked or with gaps between them.
Another consequence of not replacing a missing tooth is a super-eruption. This happens when the natural tooth opposite your missing tooth grows out of its original position because that tooth no longer has resistance from the missing teeth.
Poor oral hygiene is an unintended consequence that happens when your teeth shift and can require gum disease treatment. Moving teeth create new crevices for plaque and bacteria to grow in and this leads to more damage to your teeth, like cavities and gum disease.
The Mouth’s Alignment
Occlusion is the way your teeth fit together and a missing tooth can affect your alignment and spacing. Those ridges and cusps on the top of your teeth fit together like a puzzle, and missing teeth can change the way your teeth interact. When your occlusion changes, this leads to changes in pressure and bite force that can damage the surrounding teeth, leading to cracks and breaks.
With changes to your occlusion and thus your bite, comes changes to how your mouth chews food.
Missing teeth can cause changes in chewing that affect how easy it is to bite and chew and also changes the way we digest our food.
Poor digestion has far-reaching consequences for your gut and overall health and the fact that a missing tooth can achieve this, is reason alone to look into a dental solution.
Those gaps and crooked teeth mean your smile changes too. A nice smile comes with straighter, whiter teeth, which means a crooked, gappy smile doesn’t look so good.
This has negative effects on our confidence and on how others perceive us.
Confidence in Your Smile
Never underestimate the importance of a healthy smile. Smiling has several benefits, including increasing confidence, making you more approachable, making others happy, and making you look younger.
We can’t help but judge others based on the state of their teeth. Discolored teeth make us think of smoking or not brushing, chipped and broken teeth make us think of poor oral care, and bad breath is generally an unpleasant experience linked to both bad habits and bad hygiene. Because of this, the impression we make on people when we first meet them is affected by how our teeth look.
The consequences of failing to replace missing teeth mean that people might form negative opinions of who we are and how we take care of ourselves.
Current research shows that a healthy smile gives us a healthier outlook on life. This is in part because people who don’t go to the dentist are more likely to struggle with gum disease and other oral health problems.
Research also shows a connection between poor oral health and poor overall health. How we take care of our teeth is a good sign of how we take care of our body and mind.
We’re happy to provide you with these options and more. Contact us today or call (719) 598-1293 for more information about our dental services and to make an appointment.
Finding the best dentist in Colorado Springs for you and your family can be a challenge as we need to take into consideration many factors when it comes to the best choice for your oral health.
In this article, we will share a few useful tips that will help you find the right dentist for you and your family. Make sure to keep them in mind when you do your research.
Look at Dentist Reviews
When you look at dentist reviews, you should pay attention to a few key factors to ensure you will find the right one for you. There is a vast number of dentists that provide specific services for each need, so you will need to make sure that the one you choose can help you manage the dental problems you are dealing with.
Types of Dentists
What type of dentist do you need? Are you just looking for a family dentist or do you need something more specific like an orthodontist? There are various types of dentists out there who can help you with a wide array of issues:
They will refer you to a specialist who will offer treatment based on your needs. Each professional has an area of expertise and can provide targeted care. By taking this into account you make sure you receive the proper treatment within the most adequate process.
3) Ask Friends and Family for Referrals
It is not only about being a trained professional, which is extremely important. Fear of dentists often leads us to postpone any treatment, which can lead to more complications. Trusting your dentist is an important part of the process and asking for recommendations can ease the way into oral health treatments. Asking people we trust about their dentist experience and the professionals they have worked with will help decide which way to go first.
4) Look for Online Reviews
You can trust your friends and family for referrals, but other users might help in the decision-making process too. You can relate to their situation, decision-making, and experience, which can lead to more thorough research for the right dentist. You can find Briargate Center reviews online easily, and we are proud of receiving such positive feedback.
Dental Consultations
Having a dental consultation will help the dentist give a diagnosis that will help your dentist create a specific treatment for you, as well as the opportunity to know each other.
Meeting with the Dentist Prior to an Appointment
This is a way to build rapport with the dentist, know each other and understand the way they work. This is an opportunity to address your doubts, ask questions and inform the dentist about your concerns.
Ask the Dentist About Your Dental Situation
It is crucial to understand where your dental situation is at. Underlying issues may arise, and transparency is important. This is for you to understand better the treatment you will receive, costs, procedures, and duration.
Ask about Education
Knowing your dentist’s educational background can help build trust that they will provide the right treatment for you. Experience and education will help you be more comfortable during the process, knowing that your dentist’s education is supporting and ensuring the best results.
Ask for a Tour of the Office
Build confidence with your dentists by asking questions related to their practice, equipment, and treatment.
Getting acquainted with the technology your dentist uses, understanding what each item does help reduce fear and/or anxiety. It is also helpful to know the staff and the people you will interact with. Not to mention, they are learning about you as well. This adds to the relationship you can build with your dentist.
Over to You
The process of choosing the best dentist in Colorado Springs and beyond involves different aspects. As mentioned, it is a combination of a professional’s experience, the recommendation they get, their education, and how the relationship is being built.
It is not easy to find that balance and it is important to have a detailed search and make the decision that best suits each person.
It is a subjective choice, and everyone chooses based on their own needs, beliefs, and preferences.
Briargate Dental Center offers a variety of services for families in the Colorado Spring area. We are very proud of our relationship with our clients, and we continue to grow as professionals, providing solutions for our patients and their families.
The first thing to consider when dealing with any kind of dental emergency is how severe the issue is. Dental emergencies can range from a painful cavity that will keep you up all night to a broken crown or molar that needs emergency repair.
When you contact an emergency dentist you will want to ask a few questions:
Whether you are a new patient or a current patient, Briargate Dental Center in Colorado Springs offers the best emergency dental care in the city. Our experienced dentists specialize in many common dental emergencies. We offer same-day appointments as well as after-hours care in the event that you suffer a dental emergency during non-business hours.
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