Hi everyone!
Coaching your daughter’s soccer team? Planning a weekend of tubing and skiing at the lake for your son’s buddies? Being prepared is always a good idea. “Plan for the best; prepare for the worst.”
A first-aid kit is an essential item. Throw it in the cargo area of your SUV and you’re good to go. Bandages, Neosporin and Solarcaine, right? That’s a good start, but I’d like you to add a few more things – items that would help in the event of a dental emergency such as a knocked out tooth.
Items for an Emergency Dental Kit
- Dentist’s phone number. (248-356-8790)
- Surgical gloves
- A bottle of saline solution (salt water) and/or 2 bottles of clean water.
- Sterile gauze pads
- 2-3 instant cold compresses or cold packs
- 2 washcloths
- A small plastic (Tupperware?) container and lid (a 35 mm film canister works well too)
- Ibuprofen (Motrin) or Tylenol
- You can also buy a kit at some pharmacies specifically designed to hold knocked out teeth that contain a preservative solution similar to saliva. One brand in particular is called “Save a Tooth”.
In the event of an oral injury, call me, your Southfield Dentist immediately (248-356-8790) for an emergency appointment or go to the nearest emergency room. Put on gloves and use the washcloths to control bleeding. Avoid vigorous rinsing as this will encourage more bleeding. The ice packs and Ibuprofen will reduce swelling to lips and face and control pain.
If a tooth is knocked out, find it but do not clean it. Hold it by the crown (the top of the tooth) and avoid touching the root end of the tooth. Wrap the loose tooth in moist gauze. Place it in the container, cover with saline solution (or milk), and secure the lid. Get to the dentist office or ER as soon as possible. The tooth needs to be reimplanted within 1 hour for there to be any reasonable chance of successful reattachment. If neck injury or concussion is suspected or more severe trauma has occurred, call 911 immediately.
That’s all for today,
Dr. Mark W Langberg, DDS, MAGD
26206 West 12 Mile Road, Suite 303
Southfield, MI 48034
(248) 356-8790