A dental emergency is just as serious as any other medical emergency. Failing to take action during a dental emergency has the potential to seriously and negatively impact one’s health.
Luckily, there are steps that one can take to ensure that they are more prepared to handle a dental emergency when it arises. One of these steps is keeping an emergency dental kit on hand.
If you are considering what to include in your emergency dental kit, take a look at this overview, which describes some of the care items you should keep on hand and when to go in for emergency dental treatment.
What is an Emergency Dental Kit?
An emergency dental kit can comprise a variety of objects, but the common thread is that they are useful in case of a dental emergency. In a true dental emergency, it pays to have specific aids on hand, as even the trip between one’s house and the dentist can cost valuable time.
In addition, professional dental offices will have their own version of an emergency dental kit primed and ready in the case of emergency dental situations. These professional-grade kits have compounds and equipment that are not available for a pedestrian kit.
In this article, we will go over the everyday items you can include in your emergency dental kit that can make a difference in case of an emergency. Many of these items are available for purchase at your local drugstore or pharmacy.
What To Include in Your Emergency Dental Kit
1. Oral Gel
Including oral gel in your emergency kit is a wise move. Benzocaine gel has the potential to relieve acute and chronic pain from toothaches and trauma to the teeth and mouth. This type of gel is available for purchase at most pharmacies.
2. Cotton Balls
Cotton Balls are another item to include in your emergency dental kit. These balls can assist in situations where there is bleeding from a tooth that has been dislodged or injured. Cotton balls are highly absorbent, which makes them a great asset in any situation where there is excess liquid of some kind in the mouth.
3. Disposable Gloves
Sanitized disposable gloves are arguably the most essential part of an at-home emergency dental kit. An injured mouth is highly vulnerable to infection, which can inflame a dental emergency into something much more severe due to the connections between nerves, arteries, and veins from the mouth to the rest of the body.
In addition, these gloves can help to protect an individual who may be assisting you in a dental emergency. Engaging with the fluids and blood of another person is a highly risky activity without proper protection.
4. Temporary Filling Material
In lieu of the professional-grade filling materials that are available at the dentist’s office, obtaining some temporary filling material can help you plug some wounds in the mouth before they get out of hand. This can help to tide you over on your way to the dentist to receive a professional-grade filling.
5. Salt
Salt is an everyday item that most individuals encounter frequently. However, many are unaware that salt can be extremely useful for assisting in dental emergencies. A warm saltwater solution has the potential to act as a convenient disinfectant for situations where a professional solution is unavailable.
6. Tea Bags
Tea bags are another beneficial, likely unexpected addition to your dental emergency kit. Black tea contains a high amount of tannins, which are compounds that can assist with oral bleeding. Although tea bags will not stand in for professional solutions to stop bleeding, they do have some properties that assist with this endeavor. Tea bags are typically astringent and antiseptic, which leads to black tea being highly useful for emergency dental situations.
7. Pain Relievers
It may go without saying, but most emergency dental situations are painful. Keeping a supply of over-the-counter pain relievers can lessen the discomfort you or a loved one experiences during a dental emergency.
The Best Dentist in Riverside
Cleopatra Dental Riverside is one of the most highly regarded and well-respected clinics for emergency dentistry in Riverside. If you are considering assembling an emergency dental kit for use in a crisis, contact our office today to set up an appointment.