Bakersfield.com

The bags are packed, tickets and passports are handy, the house is locked, and you're ready to head out the door on your well-deserved family vacation.  You let your neighbors know where you are going and when you expect to return.  Someone is going to feed the pets and keep a watch on your house. Everything is checked of your list of preparations for your trip.

In spite of our most detailed plans, unexpected events can happen on any vacation.  The most worrisome often involve a health-related emergency.  That is why so many travel experts repeatedly stress the need to carefully pack your prescription medications, along with information about specific medical conditions and allergies to any drugs someone in your group might have.

One area often overlooked is handling a dental emergency.  As Murphy's Law puts it, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong (and usually at the worst possible moment).  Problems with teeth and dental issues can happen anytime.  One way to minimize the chances that a dental problem will ruin your trip is to put together a Dental Emergency Travel Kit.  The best part is that the items that should be in it can be easily found at any pharmacy.

Here are seven common dental emergencies, and what you want to have on hand to fix them:

1. Temporary or permanent Crown (Cap) comes off a tooth:

Fixodent or Polygrip paste- Actually denture adhesive, but it makes great temporary cement that allows for almost fool-proof recementing of loose temporary crowns (caps) and bridges.  It'll keep them on until you can get in to your dentist. 

Don't try this, though, if something came off because the tooth broke off underneath.  In this case, it may be better to leave it off so you don't accidentally swallow a temporary.  Keep your tooth clean.

 2.  Lost filling:

Dent-Temp - For the dentally adventurous.  Moderately strong cement that includes a powder and liquid that you mix and then insert in the “hole”; it can also be used as a second choice for crown and bridge recementing if Fixodent or Polygrip does not work. For a porcelain veneer that has come off - use Krazy Glue (or Super Glue, etc.) gel - just a little dab of it on the center of the veneer, don't fill the veneer up much.  If you use a tiny bit, your dentist has a good chance of gently getting it off.  It you put of lot of Krazy Glue on, things will have to be drilled off and a new one done.

If cold things bother the tooth, you can apply a sensitivity toothpaste to the area (with a Q-tip for example).  Some people have used a small piece of chewing gum to temporarily fill the hole in their tooth and keep stuff out.

3.  Toothache:

 Benzodent - A topical anesthetic that can be applied to the gum.  Fine it in the denture sore spot section of the drugstore.Or apply teething relief found in the baby products section.  There are also toothache drops that often contain eugenol (oil of cloves) which can help.  Oil of cloves is a long-time soothing medicament for toothaches.

Advil or Motrin (Ibuprofen) - Adults can take as much as 2,400mg every 24 hours. Make sure your physician allows you to take this; otherwise, Tylenol or Anaprox.

Antibiotics - Have your dentist call in a prescription for Penicillin, Erythromycin or Tetracycline and take it in your kit. Call your dentist from the road for advice on which one to take should you have pain and/or swelling.  Important note:  If you are allergic to Penicilling, let your doctor know.  Clindamycin is a commonly used alternative. 

An important disclaimer:  this in not to be considered medical advice, consult your dentist or physician.

 4.  Knocked out tooth:

 Use an empty prescription bottle with a screw top to place the tooth in along with neutral saline solution (check the contact lens aisle) that they sell in the pharmacy (better than putting it in milk). 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 tooth brush; you can remove important cells needed for re-implantation.

Research has shown that the sooner a tooth is re-implanted and stabilized, the better the chances of it staying.  The highest success is in the first hour.  Even if the tooth has been out longer, it is still worth re-implanting.  Even if it is eventually lost, you have maintained the proper space in the mouth, and have time to plan other treatment options.

If no bottle and neutral saline is around, put the tooth in your mouth to keep it moist and get to your dentist asap.

5.  Braces, brackets or wires break or come un-done:

Dental wax - press wax against wire or bracket to prevent poking into the cheek or lip.  If a wire has come out of the bracket completely and the end is really free, the wanna-be orthodontist can carefully trim the wire with small wire-cutters.  Call your dentist, let him or her know you have a secret desire to join their profession and ask if they can check your first orthodontic adjustment!

Really, if you have to cut off a bent or pokey wire, it won't hurt things for a few days until you  get in.

6.   Foreign body jammed under 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 Benzodent to make the area comfortable so you can eat.

One of the worst foods for catching under the gums:  Popcorn!  Particularly the small "hulls" that are so thin.

7.  Denture breaks:

Denture Repair Kit - While you can buy a denture repair kit at the drugstore, it can be a real challenge to fix a broken denture or loose denture tooth yourself.  These kits come with a pink powder and a liquid to mix up an acrylic material.  If you decide to try this, think of it as a temporary repair until you get in to your regular dentist.

Fixing a denture with super glue is the same thing - a short tem repair until it can be taken care of long term with real acrylic.  So, if you try this one, don't glob on a bunch of super glue or repair acrylic.  Repeat - don't put a huge gob of the glue or acrylic on.  It makes it real hard to get things even close to proper position, and it makes it even harder for your dentist to fix it with his "professional grade" materials.

Important tip: Travel with a copy of your most recent dental x-rays. If your dentist has digital x-rays, they can be printed on plain photo or copy paper; otherwise, a duplicate set on x-ray film will work just fine.  This way, if you wind up in a grass-hut seeing the local witchdoctor/dentist/voodoo man, they will at least know what kind of dental work you have in your mouth and which teeth are real and which are prosthetic - such as  crowns, bridges, and dental implants.

(Note:  This article was originally posted on Dr. Armstrong's blog at Bakersfield.com, but he moved it over to the articles).

 Dr. Tom Armstrong, Bakersfield dentist, loves to help people solve their toughest dental problems.  He works with many patients on cosmetic, implant, and general dentistry.  He also works with patients who have sleep apnea, snoring, and CPAP problems, which can now be treated with custom FDA-approved dental appliances.  If you have questions, you can call at (661) 631-5580, or go online at  www.bakersfieldsmiles.com to learn more.  Dr. Armstrong's staff has prepared several FREE Special Dental Reports on various topics - just ask for one and they'll send it out.