No one expects to have a dental emergency when they wake up in the morning. Unfortunately, dental emergencies are fairly common occurrences, and they can result in severe pain, infections, or tooth loss. While you’ll need to see an emergency dentist right away if one happens to you, there are habits you can adopt to prevent this from happening. Here’s a brief list of best practices for keeping your teeth from needing the attention of an emergency dentist.

While you can rest assured that your dentist will not recommend tooth extraction without an excellent reason, it’s understandable that you’d be anxious about being scheduled to have one. Teeth are extracted because they fail to emerge properly, they are injured or infected beyond saving, or because there is not enough room in the mouth to accommodate them. At times, it can even be an emergency dental treatment. Here’s a brief guide of what to expect during and after a tooth extraction to help alleviate some of the associated anxiety.