Dental Health Care

Dental Emergency Travel Kit

Here are the top 7 dental emergencies and what to have on hand to fix them.

1. Temporary or permanent Crown (cap) comes off a tooth:
   Fixodent or Polygrip- Actually a denture adhesive, but it makes great temporary cement that allows for foolproof recementing of loose temporary crowns and bridges.
2. Lost filling:
   Dent-Temp- Moderately strong cement that includes a powder and liquid that you mix and then inserts in the “hole”; it can also be used as a second choice for crown and bridge recementing if Fixodent or Polygrip does not work.
3. A toothache:
   Orajel- A topical anesthetic that can be applied to the gum. Advil (ibuprofen)- Adults can take as much as 800 mg every 4-6 hours. Make sure your physician allows you to take this: otherwise take Tylenol. Antibiotics- Call your dentist from the road to see if you need an antibiotic, or if you are having severe pain or swelling.
4. Knocked out tooth:
   Use an empty container with a lid to place the tooth in water. See a dentist as soon as possible to see if the tooth can be re-implanted. Do not scrub the tooth or root with a toothbrush; you can remove important cells needed for re-implantation.
5. Braces, brackets or wires break or come undone:
   Dental wax- press wax against wire or bracket to prevent poking into the cheek or lip.
6. Foreign body jammed under the gum and/or between teeth:
   Floss and Peroxide- Try to floss out the debris and then flush out with a mixture of half peroxide and half water. Apply orajel.
7. Denture breaks:
   Denture repair kit- Comes with a pink powder and a liquid to mix up an acrylic material to repair cracked dentures or to re-attach a denture tooth to the prosthesis.