Dental Emergency? When to Call your Dentist during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic the American Dental Association has recommended that only emergency dental work be done and to hold off on elective treatment. When should you call your dentist or utilize our virtual consultation? What is a true dental emergency?

It can vary. It usually means pain that keeps you up at night or swelling and can’t be controlled with over the counter medication.

A common emergency is when a tooth breaks. Old mercury amalgam fillings tend to expand and contract with temperature changes which can cause the tooth to break when chewing. Sometimes the tooth will break but it won’t hurt. During the coronavirus pandemic, if you aren’t in pain -it’s likely okay to switch to a soft food diet and chew on the other side. If the pain is keeping you up at night, you have swelling or is getting worse, please use our virtual consultation (link below) or call us. We can evaluate if you need to be seen in office. Often times broken teeth can be smoothed or repaired simply with a new filling, a crown, or may need further treatment. We’d prefer you to call us and discuss than be in pain or have swelling.

Another rare but occasional dental emergency is related to an accident. We’ve seen a handful of kids in the past, including our own daughter, that went over the handle bars and needed some dental work. Many kids will be biking more and be outside playing which can lead to accidents. We are parents and know it is concerning. Don’t hesitate to call us on our emergency line if needed.

Another call we get is jaw pain or ear pain. This can be due to clenching or grinding your teeth. This is likely due to stress. We often times will recommend over the counter medications, meditation and massage during this time. When we are able to see patients more readily, hopefully in the near future, we can evaluate your occlusion to determine if the pain could be resolved best with a bite guard or Invisalign or Botox.

Finally, we often get calls regarding pain associated with wisdom teeth. We do not remove wisdom teeth at Smile Solutions but if you are having a painful problem with a wisdom tooth we may be able to refer you to the oral surgeon.

We also encourage you to stay home and utilize our Virtual Consultations.

https://www.madisonsmilesolutions.com/virtual-consultations

We want to reassure you that we are here for you and you can call or email us and we’ll be in touch soon. during this crisis, we are hoping to have someone in the office between 9Am-Noon but you can reach dr. Kaveh on his emergency number at 608-332-1858.

We all want life to get back to normal and we will do that by taking this time in the next few weeks to breathe, chill and stay home. Please take this seriously, as we are looking forward to seeing your smiles very soon.

Coronavirus and Your Dental Office -What You Need to Know.

I recognize the Covid-19 is a time of stress-

Updated 3/16/20:

While I was hoping to be dancing a gig and enjoying all the St. Patrick's Day fun this coming week, at Madison Smile Solutions have a civic duty to do what we can to keep this new virus in check and apparently, that means staying home and being aware of social distancing.

In light of other states closing public spaces including dental offices, I have made the tough decision to close our office for the next week 3/16 through 3/20 (and will review opening the week after as we continue to get more guidance from the CDC and state health authorities.)

We will be contacting all patients in the morning to reschedule existing appointments.

I have spent a lot of time reviewing this virus and it's trajectory along with discussing with fellow dentists. We can deal with this now, and have it be a short term problem.  That means staying home, limiting your interactions as much as possible or we can ignore it, and have to deal with the consequences for the next several months.

I want to reassure you that dental offices are and have always been very clean places.  We use hospital grade infection control products on all surfaces.  We utilize a water filtration system. We utilize autoclaves to sterilize equipment. This is a very modern office designed around your comfort and safety, but we are taking the extra steps necessary to protect our community.

When we reopen, we will have a few changes. We would prefer that you do not bring anyone with you to the appt that does not have to be here. If you have any fever, cough or sore throat, or have been around someone with these symptoms we will gladly reschedule you as we want to protect others and our team. 

If you truly have a dental emergency, I will have my cell phone number on our answering machine and will contact you to meet you at the office to deal with the emergency.  If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to me.  Thanks for understanding.

Other than that, please do your best to help flatten out the growth curve of this virus.  

Keep Smiling,

Dr. Kaveh Ghaboussi

Original Blog posted 3/12/30 below:

I'd also like to remind you that our amazing team has always followed universal precautions.

What does that mean?

This entire "infection control" thing we've been trained and taken classes on this and have done this for years!
Our team has always provided the highest level of care and will continue to. I want to reassure you that we are here for you!

That said, please let us know if you aren't feeling well.
We want you to hunker down and be well.

They say it take 3 weeks to form a habit so now is the time to get your floss or waterpik habit in high gear. Or better yet - I’ve heard of people saying they are singing happy birthday or the alphabet while washing your hands so you do it longer - perhaps you can start busting out Bohemian Rhapsody or Kung Fu Fighting while brushing your teeth to get those full 2 minutes in too. Which song would you sing?

Lightheartedness aside, please rest assured we are open for our normal business hours and can answer any questions.

Finally - if you’re in pain or having a problem but not well enough to come in - please call Dr. Kaveh or do a virtual consultation. https://www.madisonsmilesolutions.com/virtual-consultations

Keep Smiling,
Dr. Kaveh (Your Friendly Neighborhood Dentist) & Team

The Benefits of a Healthy Smile

Having a healthy smile is good for your body and self-esteem. A healthy smile is defined as teeth and gums that are well-taken care of, clean and strong. It creates a positive cycle where if someone feels confident in their smile, they smile more; and when people smile more, they feel more confident. Getting into this happy cycle is easier for some people than others, but it is possible for everyone because it all starts with a healthy smile.

Three Benefits of a Healthy Mouth

Taking care of the mouth is more than just for vanity’s sake. Cavities can create unsightly holes in the mouth, promote more decay, and even the loss of teeth. But this isn’t all just vanity; it’s about overall health of the body. While there are many benefits to having a healthy mouth, here are three to consider.

1.       Improved Mood. Smiling has a direct affect on the way a person feels. Smiling signals the brain to create a chemical reaction that actually makes you feel happier. Not only does it boost your mood, but it can also lower stress, improve a person’s perception on life, and boost the immune system.

2.       Attract People. People are naturally attracted to happier people. This is because people like feeling happy and being around happy people naturally helps boost the mood of the people around them. Others are also more likely to approach a friendly looking person than someone who looks unhappy.

3.       Improved Health. Having a healthy smile does more than boost confidence, it also improves the overall health of the body. A common sign of poor oral health is tooth infection and gingivitis, which is inflammation of the gums. Sometimes this indicates problems in techniques, like brushing and flossing incorrectly, but it can also be an indicator that there is another problem in the body. Two examples of this are the correlation between tooth decay and a link between diabetes and gum disease and heart disease.

How to Have a Healthy Smile

Having a healthy smile is easier than you think. With all the advances in the medical field and in dental tools, it all still comes down to the basics.

·         The first step to having a healthy smile is brushing the teeth two times each day, for two minutes each session. Floss at least once daily. This helps control the number of bacteria in the mouth and keep the gums healthy.

·          The second step is to have semiannual appointments with a dentist. These appointments are critical because the hygienist scrapes off the harmful plaque from teeth and gives the dentist a chance to fix problems before they become serious.

·         Lastly, call the dentist if you are in pain. Since the body uses pain to signal that there is a problem, it is important to listen and act. Oral pain is miserable and stopping it early on can help avoid bigger problems and more pain.

When a person feels self-conscious about their smile, they tend to smile less. If you have missing or crooked teeth, those can be fixed. If there is a lot of decay, that can be fixed. Feeling confident in a smile tends to make people take better care of their teeth. It is another beneficial cycle for your mouth.

If you are interested in having these benefits and more from having a healthy smile, give our office a call. We love helping people regain their confidence and enjoy sharing their smile with others. When people smile more, it makes the world happier.