According to a recent survey by Majestic Drug Company, South Fallsburg, NY, although one in six Americans had a dental emergency over the previous 12 months, most were not prepared to deal with the problem. Following the survey, the company suggested preparing a dental first aid kit to keep on hand in addition to a general first aid kit. The dental first aid kit is not meant to replace the care of a dentist, but to ease the pain and discomfort until a dentist is available.

The company suggests keeping the following items on hand for a dental emergency and placing them in a container for easy access:

• A dental pain reliever that contains benzocaine or oil of cloves;
• temporary dental cement that can be used to temporarily replace a filling or secure a crown;
• toothpaste for sensitive teeth;
• Ibuprofen to ease the pain from the affected tooth;
• soft dental floss;
• tweezers
• gauze; and
• (for those with dentures) a denture repair product.