Dental Issues When There is no Dentist Around
I recently experienced a situation that I would not want to face in a bug out or other catastrophic event. I woke one morning to an excruciating pain coming from one of my teeth. I tried numerous home remedies like warm salt water, hydrogen peroxide, Orajel, and even whisky… yet the pain persisted. It got me thinking about what I would do in a dental emergency when I could not get to a dentist right away.
All I could think of was I wanted to ease the pain… so a call to my dentist was my next move. After the exam, he told me the problem was in infection “in” the tooth and thus why my home remedies did not help… those are more effective for gum related issues.
While I can’t get the tools and knowledge necessary for such a dental issue, it’s still important before you bug out that you make sure you have all the essential supplies in your first aid kit. Most people make sure that they have food, shelter and water. While those three are important, there’s something else on that list that’s equally important – and that’s dental hygiene products.
You have to make sure that you have the necessary means to take care of your teeth. When it comes to dental hygiene, it might not seem to rank as important as bugging out during a crisis, but believe me if you have dental pain, you’ll want relief and it’s no fun when there is no dentist around.
Your dental care can cause some pretty serious health issues – including death – if you’re not careful. If you don’t have the means to take care of your teeth, developing cavities is the least of your worries.
This type of decay is tied in with gum disease and you could end up experiencing a lot of discomfort. But that’s not where the real danger lies. Your mouth is a haven of bacteria and under normal circumstances, when you brush and floss regularly, this bacteria doesn’t cause you any problems.
But if you skip it, even on a short-term basis, it allows this bacteria to wreak havoc to your health. Circumstances can happen that can cause it to get into your bloodstream and that is extremely dangerous.
By buying a travel toothbrush, you’ll have a way to keep the bristles of the toothbrush free of contamination. Taking a toothbrush with you when you bug out is just one part of the solution to keep your dental hygiene in good shape so that you stay healthy.
You’ll also need to make sure that everyone in the family has one in their bag so you can buy some traveling toothbrushes in larger packs like a six-pack of Colgate Travel Toothbrushes.
Besides making sure that you have a toothbrush in your bug out bag, you’ll also need to take toothpaste along. When you’re trying to pack a bug out bag, there’s not a lot of room for everything you need so you’ll want to pick the smaller, travel size options for toothpaste.
The Colgate Total Toothpaste Clean Mint comes in a travel size and so does the Crest Pro-Health Advanced Clinical Gum Protection Toothpaste. When you’re in a crisis situation that forces you to bug out, the last thing you want to have to deal with is a problem with your teeth, so make sure whatever toothpaste you buy offers protection against plaque as well as helps to protect your gums from harmful bacteria.
Besides basic dental hygiene items, you might want to also consider packing in your dental first aid kit the following:
- Cap or crown cement
- Temporary filling
- Dental floss
- Mouthwash
- Local oral anesthetic such as Orajel or Anbesol
- Pain meds like Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen
- Denture repair kit if appropriate
- Cotton balls and Q-tips
- Clove oil – Read article on using clove oil for tooth pain.
- Dental Wax (if someone wears braces)
- Toothpicks
You might also want to have handy a good book to help in times of crisis:
