There's a good chance you carry a regular first aid kit with you, but have you considered investing in a dental first aid kit? This lesser known product is really handy to have around in a dental emergency. The products included can help you to preserve teeth that have been knocked out, reattach fillings or crowns until you can have them professionally replaced and carry out emergency repairs to your dentures. This means that you won't be stuck unable to eat or talk, and your need to get to a dentist might not be as urgent. If an emergency takes place overnight or at the weekend, you'll be able to wait until the next working day, rather than pay for an expensive 24-hour dentist. Read on for details of exactly what you can do with the kit.

Carry out emergency denture repairs

Using a special denture cement or glue allows you to put your dentures back together in an emergency. If one of the teeth has been knocked out, it should be fairly simple to glue back into position. However, if you've lost the tooth or it has broken into several pieces, this might not be an option. Some first aid kits will include sample teeth that can be inserted as a stop gap until you can get to your dentist to have a new set of dentures made. You can also use the denture cement to fill in any cracks or bond broken pieces back together until you can go in for professional denture repair. Make sure you only ever use the glue that comes with your first aid kit as normal household glues can be harmful.

Preserve knocked out teeth

If stored properly, knocked out teeth can often be successfully re-implanted as long as you see a dentist very soon after an accident. A special tooth saving container will be included in your kit, along with emergency instructions. You should put the tooth inside the container and cover it completely in milk or your own saliva. Don't attempt to wash the tooth as you may remove soft tissues that are important in the re-implanting process.

Temporarily replace fillings and crowns

Your dental first aid kit will include a filling repair putty. This is made from the same ingredients dentists use and allows you to continue eating as normal while waiting for a professional replacement. To replace a filling, you'll simply need to pinch off a small piece of putty, shape into a ball and push into the gap where your lost filling would have been. Bite down a few times to push the material into place, and then let it set. To replace a crown, place a small ball of putty onto the back of the crown, position it carefully and push it securely into place. Avoid chewing for a few hours to give the material time to set completely.