Prepare for Dental Mishaps by Adding to Your First Aid Kit

You’re at your child’s soccer game when it happens – they break their tooth. What’s the first thing you reach for? Probably a first aid kit. Whether you’re a parent of active children, the “mom-friend” in your dormitory, or a seasoned individual familiar with life and its accidents, you’re no doubt familiar with these kits and items like gauze and band-aids. But are they useful in a dental emergency?

Problems like cut gums or broken dentures can take you or your loved ones by surprise, so it’s important to have the right tools available and ready for use. To find out what you should have prepared for spontaneous dental injuries, keep reading. A few extra items can help make your first aid kit truly comprehensive!

Items to Have for Dental Emergencies

Fortunately, you don’t need expensive or hard to find equipment to create your own dental emergency kit at home. Look for these key items:

• Bottled water. Rinsing your mouth with water is a quick and easy way to wash out debris in the case of a damaged tooth.
• Cold compress. Many facial injuries can cause painful swelling. Pressing a cold compress to your face will numb the area, reducing discomfort.
• Alcohol wipes. Essential for sterilizing cuts and protecting wounds from infection.
• Cotton balls. Cotton balls can staunch bleeding but can also be used to cushion skin from dislodged wires on braces or dentures.
• Dental mirror. While dental injuries sometimes occur near the front of the mouth, other times what’s bothering you might be located towards the back. A dental mirror can provide better visibility for easier treatment.
• Dental wax. Like cotton balls, dental wax can be used to protect yourself from broken braces. Unlike cotton balls, it’s a bit more solid and moldable, making dental wax better for applications over broken teeth or restorations.
• Floss or tweezers. These go hand-in-hand in that they can both aid in removing objects from hard-to-reach places. Just remember to be careful when using tweezers. If your hand slips, you could accidentally jab your gums.
• Gloves – latex or vinyl. Besides sparing your fingers from icky saliva, gloves are also a good idea for situations where an infection could be possible. It won’t do you any good to touch suspicious particles without protection.
• Pain relievers. Somewhat obvious but also easy to forget, common medicines like Tylenol and ibuprofen can help ease pain from toothaches or swollen injuries. If you find that you need to see a dentist, remember to tell them what medicines you’ve taken. This will help you avoid interactions with sedation techniques in the event your dentist needs to operate on your teeth.
• Your emergency dentist’s contact information. Sometimes the stress of an emergency makes it difficult to think. Keeping your emergency dentist’s information with your kit ensures you or a loved one will be able to call them no matter how panic-inducing the situation. An emergency dentist can also give over-the-phone guidance for immediate first aid, so you can prevent further harm.

Some of these items might already be in your first aid kit, but it’s a good idea to double-check so you’re not caught unprepared. You’re resourceful, and your dentist is there to support you, so don’t be intimidated by dental injuries!

About the Practice

At Advanced Dental Solutions of Pittsburgh, our top-notch team is ready and waiting to help you through any dental emergency. With their combined expertise and advanced technology, you’re guaranteed quality care. To book a same-day appointment, call the office at 412-854-2310. To learn more about our services or explore options for sedation dentistry, visit their website.