Whether you are a teacher, sports coach, or a parent with sporty or boisterous children, there may be a time where children lose or damage a tooth.
The best thing to be in these situations is prepared. Here is a list of what you may want to have on hand during a dental emergency. Although it is vital that you get the patient to the dentist for professional dental care, knowing what to do in an emergency and having the correct supplies can do a world of good for the patient.
What to have in a Dental First Aid Kit
Medical-Grade Exam Gloves
You should not be examining or reaching into a person’s mouth without gloves as you do not want to put germs from your hands into their mouth or get germs on your hands from their mouth.
Dental Mirror and Flashlight
These two tools will help you look into the very back or front of a child’s mouth to determine the site and the extent of the trauma.
Save-a-Tooth System
This product is a saline solution that is used to keep the tooth ‘alive’ once it has been knocked out of someone’s mouth. The solution is compatible with human bodily fluids and prevents the tooth from drying out so that it can be replanted. Teeth can only be out of their socket for a few hours before they die so it is important to keep the tooth safe and rush the patient to the dentist.
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Dental Wax
This wax-like substance aids in soothing the irritation of braces or a chipped tooth. It can also be used to temporarily fill in a lost or chipped filling.
Toothbrush & Tweezers
When placing temporary fillings or other substances onto the damaged tooth, you will want to use a tool such as tweezers to help you place and mold the material. Before you do this, you will want to clean the damaged tooth with a soft bristled toothbrush.
Sterile Gauze
Gauze can be used to stop bleeding in the mouth and help form a blood clot at the site of injury.
Tea Bags
A wet tea bag can also be used to stop bleeding in the mouth if you have run out of gauze or if the gauze has not stopped the bleeding.
Hydrogen Peroxide
This chemical is effective in disinfecting your tools and cleaning up blood.
Floss and Toothpicks
You may have to use a floss or toothpick to dislodge something that is stuck between the teeth that is causing pressure or pain.
Clove Oil
Clove oil can be topically applied to an area as a local sedative to alleviate toothache.
Ice Pack
Some swelling may occur when a tooth has been lost. An ice pack placed on the patient’s face for 20 minutes at a time, with a 20 minute break in between each session, will reduce the swelling.
Pain Medication
Ibuprofen and acetaminophen should be in your first aid kit to relieve oral pain.
