Your mouth is just as vulnerable to harm as any other part of your body. Athletes and people in physical labor-related jobs are at increased risk for harm. While you can never completely prevent an oral trauma from befalling you, stocking your first aid kits with oral care items can help you be better prepared to offer on-the-spot treatment.
Waxed dental floss is the very first item to put into each of your first aid kids. It can be a very helpful tool for removing food particles or foreign objects from between teeth or the gum line. The special coating can help insert the strand to reduce the chances of injuring your gums.
It’s also a good idea to keep a small floss threader in the kit. This is a loop-shaped tool that can insert a strand of dental floss around a foreign object or food particle stuck between two teeth.
A severe dental trauma, like having a tooth knocked out of the socket will certainly require timely first aid measures. Dr. Jared Ayes might be able to implant the tooth back into the socket if it is intact and still alive. While you can keep the tooth alive by holding it between your tongue and cheek, the tooth perseveration products sold in stores can do this much more conveniently.
It can also be very helpful to stock salt packets and a plastic cup in your first aid kit. This will allow you quickly prepare a saltwater rinse. This can help clear blood and debris from your mouth, while also helping to soothe injured tissues. Topical oral analgesic can be rubbed onto your gums to partially numb the area for a short time.
Many cases of oral trauma involve swelling in the surrounding soft tissues. Keeping a few zip-top bags and a washcloth in your first aid kit can help you improvise a cold compress.
If you have oral first aid questions and you live in the Royersford, Pennsylvania area, you can always call 484.369.8625 to seek advice or treatment at Dr. Jared Ayes’s clinic.