Living in a World Without Dentists

Tooth pain is the absolute worst! If you’ve experienced it, you know exactly what I mean. Not only can it be unbelievably unbearable during the day, but it can also keep you up at night, leaving you tossing and turning. Thankfully, we still live in a world where an emergency visit to the dentist can quickly fix all this in the United States.

However, going to the general dentist can be expensive, particularly if you don’t have dental insurance. Poor oral health can be hard to deal with, but imagine there not being any quality dental care available due to an emergency. If you need a root canal, have tooth loss, or suffer from oral diseases, or other oral health issues, you could be left without dental providers because of a natural disaster or another emergency.

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Living in a World Without Dentists

Try to imagine for just a moment that there was a huge widespread disaster that made it impossible for you to reach your dentist. How would you be able to cope if the situation caused challenges for an extended period? And how would you be able to maintain good oral hygiene when you were no longer able to get your necessary treatments? You may not realize it, but failing to keep up with your oral health can cause complications and serious risks to your health as well. I’d like to share a few tips that would help you out if you were ever faced with that scenario. Keep reading about how you can still maintain reasonably good oral health and tooth pain treatments when the dentist was no longer an option.  

How to Maintain Good Oral Health

Keeping up with your oral health will be a bit more challenging if there ever came a time when going to the dentist was no longer an available option. But that’s not to say that it would be entirely impossible. These are simple solutions and steps to follow that would help you if it was completely up to you to keep up with your teeth’ care.

As you’ll recognize while reading, much of the solution relates to prevention. The visits to your dentist and the focus of medical care from these modern dentistry professionals are important. They not only provide oral health services but also guide you in ways to maintain strong teeth and gums. Following their instructions, you should be able to stay clear of serious medical conditions. You want to minimize issues like dental caries (cavities), gum inflammation, loss of tissues, and infection that travels to other parts of your body.

Avoid Smoking/Chewing Tobacco

Not only is smoking or chewing tobacco terrible for your overall health, but it also increases your risk of gum disease. That’s something else you certainly don’t want to be dealing with if you wake up one day living in a nightmare. The same goes for too much alcohol and any unnecessary use of drugs.

Cut Back on Sugar

Sugar is found in almost all processed foods, so cutting back on your sugar intake is the first step to maintaining healthy teeth. Sugar feeds the bacteria in your mouth and can lead to cavities, loss of tooth enamel, tooth decay, and gum disease. I would also recommend that you only chew sugar-free gum to help with this.

Brush Twice a Day

Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste will help protect your teeth from plaque buildup and help prevent cavities. Make sure you brush for at least two minutes each time and that you are using circular motions when brushing. You need to switch out your toothbrush about every 3 to 4 months. If you ever find yourself living in a world without dentists, you’re going to need a hefty supply of toothbrushes and toothpaste. A healthy mouth really starts with making sure you’re brushing twice a day and the experts suggest using a high-quality soft toothbrush.

Many people prefer using an electronic toothbrush. It is especially handy for those who have arm soreness or weakness since the unit does the majority of the work.

Don’t forget to brush your tongue too. Bacteria tend to hide on the surfaces of the tongue and need to be gently removed as part of your daily routine. The area on the bottom of your mouth behind your front teeth also needs special attention. That’s a place where plaque builds up faster than other areas in your mouth. Spend a little extra time brushing and flossing that area for the best results.

Use Fluoride Toothpaste

Fluoride toothpaste is essential for maintaining good oral health. Fluoride helps to prevent cavities and keeps your teeth strong. If you aren’t able to get to the dentist, make sure you choose toothpaste with added fluoride to help keep your teeth healthy.

Floss Regularly

Flossing at least daily helps remove any food particles trapped in between your teeth that may not have been removed by brushing alone. It’s also great for removing plaque buildup to keep your gums healthy and looking pink. If your teeth tend to bleed, it’s a sign your gums are in distress and needs more attention. If you haven’t flossed in a while, you might experience some soreness when you back on the daily routine, but it should go away quickly.

Some people have found that a Waterpik electronic flossing appliance is more to their liking. It uses water pressure to clean between the teeth and gums.

Use Mouthwash

Stocking up on mouthwash is another great thing to consider. After all, your situation may already stink bad enough as it is and you don’t want to be stuck smelling each of your family member’s bad breath. Mouthwash is great for killing bacteria and helping remove any remaining food particles that may have been missed when you were brushing or flossing. 

How to Manage Tooth Pain

There are items that you can purchase in your grocery store or online that will help you manage your tooth pain. What I’m about to share with you are not necessarily long-term solutions. They can help you cope with tooth pain for a short period of time until you can get it properly taken care of. These are crucial items that you should consider stocking up on now. 

Painkillers

You’ll need plenty of painkillers to stifle the pain of a toothache, whether you prefer ibuprofen, Tylenol, Aleve, or aspirin. Be sure that you follow the recommended dosage that’s mentioned on the label. 35 OTC Medications You Should Store

Warm Saltwater

Gargling warm salt water may not take the pain from your mouth entirely. It should help you to rinse out any bacteria that may be in your mouth that might be the real reason for your tooth pain in the first place.  

Analgesic Gel

Orajel may only be a temporary fix, but it can relieve pain immensely in your mouth by numbing the gums and the affected tooth. An analgesic gel will also help you to able to sleep more comfortably at night. 

Peppermint Tea

Peppermint tea will not only soothe a sore tooth, but it also has qualities in it that can help numb the pain as well. Just be sure that you don’t drink the tea scalding hot because your tooth may be heat sensitive and the tea will end up being counterproductive. The Best Herbal Plants to Grow for Homemade Tea

Clove Oil

Clove oil is considered to be one of nature’s most powerful analgesics. But using too much of the oil can leave your mouth more numb than what is necessary. Just a few drops on a cotton ball that is then rubbed over the affected area will go a long way in reducing the pain in your mouth. 

Use Heat or Cold Packs

Applying heat or cold packs directly on the surface of your face near where the pain is coming from can help tremendously. The use of hot or cold packs will reduce the swelling, which in turn can stop the toothache from further progressing. Sometimes untreated tooth decay can’t really be helped with anything, but hot and cold packs do tend to help some! What’s In Your First Aid Kit?

What can I do now to prepare for possibly living in a world without dentists?

• If you have dental problems, seek out dental appointments NOW while there are no emergencies.
• Struggle with periodontal disease? Don’t ignore your dentist, get those dental visits in!
• Missing teeth? Make sure you’re taking care of your gums!
• Get screened for oral cancer and heart disease.
• If you have dental benefits, make sure you use them! Your teeth are an important part of the body and need to be taken seriously.
• Tobacco use? Might be time to nip that in the bud!
• Follow good nutrition habits. It will help your teeth, but also all your body functions that rely on healthy food habits.

Are there some benefits to mental health if you have healthy permanent teeth?

There’s no question you’ll have a boost to your mental state and self-esteem if you have an attractive smile. It has to be an embarrassment if you’re missing teeth and need restorative oral health care. Some of us don’t take oral health care seriously enough and end up with gum disease which leads to our teeth coming out.

Yes, you can get tooth implants or false teeth, but both solutions are expensive and in most cases unnecessary. If we learn good oral care habits from early childhood and follow through as we age we’ll feel much better physically and mentally.

Does diabetes affect oral health?

Yes, diabetes can really impact your oral health since it raises the risk of severe gum disease known as periodontitis.

Should there be special considerations for my oral health during pregnancy?

Some things to consider during your pregnancy:

• Follow the good health steps outlined above.
• Make sure you eat foods that are good for general body health and nutrition.
• Morning sickness can possibly weaken the enamel covering your teeth. Rinse your mouth with a teaspoon of baking soda and a cup of water. Then wait about 30-35 minutes before you brush your teeth.

Is it true that poor oral health can actually cause me to have a stroke?

The bacteria associated with dental diseases can build up and reach a serious level. This is where the body has c-reactive proteins which can inflame your blood vessels, cause a reduction of blood flow to the brain, and lead to a stroke. If you have an abscessed tooth, you can have other very serious consequences since your teeth are so close to your brain. It doesn’t take much for the bacteria from the abscess to travel to the brain and lead to critical health issues.

Can poor oral health habits bring on dementia?

Recent studies have shown that the bacteria buildup in your body from poor oral health can lead to dementia and possibly Alzheimer’s disease.

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Final Word

If you find yourself living in a world without dentists, it’s important to prepare for the worst. Stocking up on these few items will not only help with maintaining good oral health but also aid in dealing with unexpected tooth pain. I’ll openly admit, these are not long-term solutions. If followed, they will help you stay as comfortable as possible until you are able to get back to a dentist and have it properly taken care of.

Living in a world without dentists is going to be hard enough. However, trying to make sure you have a healthy smile boils down to making sure you are performing good dental care now. Brush your teeth, floss, and take great care of those teeth and gums! May God Bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: Dental Drills AdobeStock_228093295 By bozhdb