Making a Dental First Aid Kit

Most people have a medical first aid kit with supplies such as bandages, ointments, medical tools, and various other supplies that can be used in the case of a medical emergency. Many people don’t even give a second thought to why a medical first aid kit is necessary, yet many people don’t have a dental first aid kit. While some of the supplies found in a traditional medical first aid kit may be helpful for a dental emergency, there are some additional supplies that are essential for dental emergencies. 

For this reason, your emergency dentist Kamloops highly recommends having a dental first aid kit handy, just in case. This kit can be its own individual kit, or you can simply add some additional supplies to your medical first aid kit. However, just like medical first aid kits are only intended to provide temporary care in the case of an emergency situation, dental first aid kits are also only intended for temporary care. Therefore, the first step in any dental emergency is to call your local emergency dentist to schedule an emergency dental appointment. 

With that being said, here are a few things that you should make sure are in your emergency dental first aid kit: 

Dental Mirror

One important tool to have in a dental first aid kit is a dental mirror that allows you to see areas inside your mouth that you can’t see with a traditional mirror. This is important because a dental mirror can be used to locate chips, cracks, decay, or something stuck in between your teeth. Some dental mirrors come with a built in light, however you can also use a small flashlight. If you need a flashlight, however, make sure that you add this to your kit. 

Floss

In addition to being an essential tool for your daily oral hygiene routine, dental floss can also be used as a tool for certain dental emergencies. Since one common cause of tooth pain is something stuck between two teeth, dental floss can be used to help dislodge things stuck between the teeth. No matter what, dental floss should be the only thing that you use to dislodge stuck food debris. 

Tweezers

Tweezers are a useful tool that can help you grab small pieces of debris, chipped enamel, or dental restorations. Although it may be tempting to use them for removing things stuck between your teeth, you should never do this because you can cause more harm than good. 

Toothbrush

It is always good to have an extra toothbrush or two in your dental first aid kit. Not only are toothbrushes used for your daily dental hygiene routine, but they can be used to clean the mouth after an accident or before placing temporary restoration material. 

Dental Wax

Dental wax is primarily used by people with traditional metal braces since it can be placed over the metal to prevent soft tissue irritation. However, dental wax can also be used to cover up sharp edges on damaged teeth, as well as to provide stabilization. 

Temporary Restoration Material

In the case of a lost dental restoration, over the counter temporary filling or dental crown material can be temporarily used. This material is designed to cover the area exposed by a missing restoration in order to provide protection until your dentist can replace the restoration. 

Gauze

Chances are, you already have gauze in your medical first aid kit. However, you should also add some to your dental first aid kit because it is useful to control bleeding from soft tissue injuries. Gauze can also be used to create a barrier between soft tissue structures in the mouth. 

Tea Bag

As an alternative to gauze, you can also use tea bags to stop the bleeding from soft tissue injuries or healing extraction sites. This is because tea contains tannins that help to constrict the blood vessels in order to slow or stop bleeding. Not only, but tea bags have a better flavor than gauze. 

Gloves

Another item that you probably already have are gloves. Gloves are important because they provide sanitation in cases where you must reach into yours or someone else’s mouth and cannot wash your hands first. This is especially important for dental emergencies because it helps to prevent infection. 

Small Container

In the case that a tooth is chipped or falls out, you should always have a small container on hand to store the tooth or any of its fragments. If possible, this container should be waterproof so that you can store the tooth in milk or water. At the very least, be sure to keep the tooth wet by wrapping it in a soaked paper towel. 

Pain Management Options

Finally, it is helpful to have a variety of pain management options to choose from. Things like ice packs, oral anesthetic, and pain medications with acetaphetamine or ibuprofen are ideal. However, be sure to avoid taking aspirins during a dental emergency because they can cause excess bleeding.