You can never fully prepare for dental emergencies because you can't tell when one will arise while you're at home. However, having the right action plan in place can go a long way towards ensuring dental emergencies that may arise in the home are handled in the best way possible. Generally speaking, a sound dental emergency plan should include the following components:
Having a dental emergency kit.
A really painful toothache or accidentally knocked-out tooth can make it hard to get through the night without visiting the dental office. This is why you seriously need to consider having a dental emergency kit in your home as part of your dental emergency action plan. Most dental emergency kits usually contain basic items such as rubber gloves, cotton balls, cotton swabs, alcohol wipes, gauze pads, dental floss, temporary fillings, etc. The more supplies provided in your emergency kit, the more the kit will cost, but you'll at least be able to do something to alleviate panic in almost every dental emergency situation.
Knowing how to use the items in your emergency kit.
Having a dental emergency kit in your home is of no benefit to you if you don't know what to use the items in it. Make sure you learn when to use and how to use each of the items in your kit. Gauze pads can be used to stop excessive bleeding when someone has suffered trauma to the teeth, while alcohol wipes can be used to disinfect the injured area, for example. You should also learn how to use extra dental emergency supplies such as cold compress, which are usually not kept in dental emergency kits. Some dental emergencies can be a bit difficult to handle, so you should consider going the extra mile to learn about what you will need to do when they happen.
Contacting an emergency dentist.
Dental emergencies are almost always serious, so self-treatment isn't a route you should take. As soon as you've finished doing what you can to manage the situation, you should pick up the phone and call your dentist's emergency lines. Let them know what occurred and what you've done so they can prepare the emergency room for your arrival.
As always, emergency dentists are ready to come to your aid at any hour of the day or night, so don't ever think twice about calling them when something goes wrong.
Share