Proper preventive care is a great way to prevent common oral issues, like tooth decay and gum disease, that contribute to many dental emergencies. However, there’s no guarantee that you won’t have an urgent oral issue at some point. Unfortunately, dental problems like toothaches or damaged restorations can happen at any time, including overnight or on the weekends when your dentist’s office is closed.
Having a dental emergency kit available ensures you’ll have all the supplies you need to handle any problems that come up. If you’re unsure what to include in yours, continue reading for 5 helpful suggestions!
Item #1: Travel-Sized Toothbrush, Paste, and Floss
Have you ever gone out to lunch only for leftover food to lodge itself between two teeth? Although you might not consider this an emergency, plenty of people have accidentally harmed their enamel or connective tissues trying to pry stuck objects free with their fingernails, toothpicks, silverware, or other household utensils.
Keeping a travel-sized toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss container in your emergency kit at home, on the job, or in your car means that you can safely clean your mouth wherever you are to avoid potential discomfort, embarrassment, and frustration.
Item #2: Cotton Balls or Gauze
Anyone who has inadvertently bitten their tongue or the inside of their lips or cheeks knows just how painful it can be. Lacerations to the tender tissues inside your mouth can be intimidating because they can bleed profusely and become inflamed or infected.
Clean cotton balls or folded strips of gauze can be placed with firm pressure to slow bleeding, or to apply antibacterial gels or numbing agents to cuts or other wounds.
Item #3: Dental Wax or Temporary Filling
If you have or had braces, you might already be aware of a special type of orthodontic wax that can be placed over the sharp edges of the metal brackets and wires to prevent them from harming your soft tissues. This same material can temporarily anchor a dislodged restoration or chipped tooth to keep it safe until you see your dentist.
Item #4: Cold Compress
After you’ve sustained an injury or developed a toothache, placing an instant ice pack or other cold compress to the sore side of your face for 15 minutes at a time can provide a temporary numbing relief. This can also reduce swelling to ease your discomfort.
Item #5: Over-the-Counter Pain Medications
If you have a toothache or other issues interrupting your daily tasks or keeping you awake at night, taking medicines like Tylenol or ibuprofen is typically a safe way to soothe your symptoms long enough to recover and/or get some much-needed rest.
Finally, it’s also a good idea to keep your emergency dentist’s contact information on a waterproof card in your kit so that if you’re in an unexpected situation and need help, you know how to find it!
Meet the Author
Dr. Zachary Brice is passionate about helping families in San Antonio improve their daily lives by enhancing their dental health. He earned his dental doctorate at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio Dental School, and is committed to continuing education to hone his many skills. Today, he provides a complete array of services to people of all ages at one convenient location, including emergency dentistry. He offers same-day appointments and several different types of sedatives for fast relief in urgent scenarios. If you’ve had an accident or need help, you can request an appointment on the website or call (210) 903-5565.