Life

Quick-fixes to deal with emergency dental woes

Lucy Jaffa, dentist at Gentle Dental Care explains how to cope with a dental emergency on holiday

WHETHER you are planning a cruise around the Mediterranean, to catch some rays in the Caribbean or relax on a Donegal beach, having a dental emergency on holiday can put a real dampener on proceedings. There are a few things that you can do to turn a potential disaster into a personal triumph. For sensitive teeth avoid acidy foods, like citrus drinks, which can make them worse and try rubbing Sensodyne toothpaste on them, leave to seep in and soothe. If your wisdom teeth are playing up try rinsing the area with warm salt water to flush out any infection. Studies have shown that the best painkiller for dental pain is the mixture of ibuprofen and paracetamol as found in Nuromol tablets. Always read and follow the information on the packet about how much to take and how often, and do not exceed the maximum stated dose. Accidental overdoses have been reported in people who take too many painkillers when trying to relieve the pain of a dental abscess. No matter how careful you are incidents do happen. Emergency dental kits from a chemist like the Dentanurse kit are useful to dress a broken tooth, fix dislodged fillings and temporarily replace crowns or bridges. These temporary cements help to prevent thermal shocks to exposed nerves and restore appearance quickly.

But, such do-it-yourself sealants are usually only good for 48 hours so get to a dentist as soon as possible. UK residents who are on holiday in another part of the country or who are not registered with a dentist can call the 24-hour NHS Direct helpline on 0845 46 47 to find an emergency dentist in the area. When travelling abroad check your travel insurance to see whether it covers dental emergencies. Denplan dental insurers run a 24-Hour Worldwide Dental Emergency Helpline for assistance at home or overseas. The key is to plan ahead when you are going to go out of the country or to a remote area, see your dentist well in advance of your holiday so that you have time to get work done if needed.