Get Your Teeth Travel Ready
There’s nothing like a painful toothache or other dental emergency when you are far from home to ruin your vacation or business trip. It can be a traveler’s nightmare especially because you are far from your regular dentist! Dental professionals suggest getting a routine check-up and teeth cleaning before you go on a trip to avoid any mishaps.
However, if you do have a dental problem far from home, there are temporary remedies available to help. For toothaches, over-the-counter pain relievers include aspirin and acetaminophen. Other “home” treatments include rinsing your mouth with salt water or dabbing some clove oil directly on the bad tooth. Clove oil has bacteria killing properties along with a remarkable numbing effect. There is also numbing power in cooled peppermint tea. In cases where a lost filling or broken tooth is causing the pain, “caulking” the tooth with softened chewing gum can ease the pain.
With chipped or broken teeth, be sure to save any pieces. Rinse the mouth using warm water and rinse any broken pieces. If there’s bleeding, apply a piece of gauze to the area for about 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth, cheek, or lip near the broken/chipped tooth to keep any swelling down and reduce pain.
For irritated gum tissue, ginseng can be used to alleviate the pain. A ginseng tonic can be applied directly to the gums to promote circulation and speed healing. An additional home remedy suggestion is to use a wet tea bag for tooth or gum pain. Tea contains astringent tannins that have the power to shrink swollen tissue and stop bleeding.
How do you handle a knocked out tooth? First, shake off debris (rinsing or scrubbing could remove important periodontal ligaments). Then place the tooth in a container of milk or back in its socket and try to reach a dentist within 30 minutes. For a permanent solution to missing teeth, dental implants are a permanent, and natural solution. If you are interested in getting dental implants, it is best you wait to see a specialist in your own area. If you are in the Detroit area, Joseph R. Nemeth DDS & Associates are the Detoit tooth implant experts. For an appointment, please call 248-357-3100 or visit www.drnemeth.com.
Have a great trip!