THREE TRICKS TO GET YOU THROUGH THANKSGIVING

If you’re looking for your next turkey recipe you’re not going to find it here. While Dr. Labrum has been known to cook a turkey or two, we cant actually say it went well. Recently he told a patient about his mishap with the family turkey last year. Apparently, he used his new Traeger grill but wasn’t sure if the bird was completely done. Rather than having entire family spend the remainder of Thanksgiving weekend fighting over the bathroom, he opted to throw it in the oven to finish the job. Needless to say, the Turkey was “well done”. Based on this information we decided he should stick to fixing teeth.

Our office is typically closed for major holidays like Thanksgiving, but we understand that teeth don’t wait and accidents happen. A tooth ache can be an extremely painful reminder to schedule your next cleaning, especially when you’re out of town, or you’re dentist is out of the office for an extended period of time. This year for Thanksgiving, we will be closed from November 27th to December 2nd, but we want to make sure you have the resources you need in-case you have an unexpected problem while were out. You might want to write this down.

Scenario #1
“I broke my tooth!”
You’re eating aunt Karen’s famous Green Bean Casserole, and one of those crunchy onions manages to be a little more than your molar could bear. Don’t panic. Ask yourself Am I in pain? If the answer is “No” you’re probably going to be fine until Monday. But if the answer is “Yes”, You have a couple of options. Usually when a tooth is mildly sensitive to cold after breaking, this is a sign the dentin is exposed and ultimately just needs to be covered until a permanent restoration can be placed. 
Here are a couple of options:

• You can apply a smear of sensitive toothpaste to the tooth in question and attempt to wait for Monday.
• You can also use your kids Ortho Wax to cover the area by pressing it in to the broken part of the tooth. It may be a hassle but it will get you through the weekend.

​Scenario #2
“My crown Fell off. Can I just put it back on?”
The answer- Yes, but there’s a catch. 
DO NOT EVER use super glue. (yes, it’s been done before) Using super glue could potentially ruin your crown and ultimately make things much worse. Just don’t, it’s not the same. 
Do not continue to wear a loose crown! You can use petroleum Jelly or denture adhesive to temporarily replace your crown. You would be surprised at how many people accidentally swallow their crowns, leaving them with only two options; wait a few days and do some sifting, or buy a new crown. Most people would prefer the second option but desperate times call for desperate measures, and Christmas is coming.

Scenario #3

“My tooth is hurting constantly, for no reason”

Nothing could ruin a vacation more than waking up with a tooth ache. If you have pain that is constant and keeping you awake at night it’s definitely time to get to the *ahem root of the problem. A tooth ache that includes a constant ache and/or a sensitivity to heat, could mean that you need antibiotics.

• Call our office at 509-728-9577, listen to the recording and follow the prompts. Someone from our office will always call you back as soon as possible. We aim to make sure that our patients know we are here and available, even when the unexpected happens. We hope you don’t have any issues but just in-case you do we’re here to take care of you.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us, we’ll see you Monday!