4 Tips on How to Address Dental Emergencies During Camping Holidays

While the best solution for a dental emergency is to head to your dentist, that can prove challenging if you've just driven for days to go camping and get away from in all. Here are some tips to help you manage dental emergencies on remote holidays.

Before you leave, talk to your dentist

If you are in process of some challenging dental work such as a root canal or braces, or simply want to be well prepared, talk to your dentist before you head off on your holiday. They can give you some tips on what to do if you have an emergency and may be able to give your some supplies such as temporary adhesive you can use if you lose a filling during the trip.

Bring your supplies

In addition to any supplies the dentist suggests, remember to bring your normal dental hygiene items like floss and a toothbrush. Your standard first aid kit should include some gauze and antiseptic which are useful if you get a sudden mouth wound (from a fall for example). An anaesthetic cream can also be very useful if you might need to hike to get back to the dentist.

Make sure your dentist is in your mobile phone's speed dial in case you don't have internet access when you are away and need to call them.

Call if you have an emergency

Call your dentist before you head back—they may be able to give you some immediate advice to help minimise the damage. For example, if you lose a tooth it's best to try and pick it up and immediately replace it in the mouth. This acts to maintain tooth's fluid balance and can help the tooth reattach.

If you have a suspected dental abscess, and are in a remote location with few dental resources, the dentist may recommend that you visit a local expert such as Dr Bala Subramaniam Vasanthini B.D.S. Dental abscesses can be extremely serious and will need antibiotics to start fighting the infection as soon as possible.

Follow-up

If you end up receiving some emergency dental or medical care from a provider who is not your normal medical provider, make sure to book a follow-up appointment with your normal dentist on your return. As they are familiar with the normal condition of your mouth, they can make sure there are no other smaller (non emergency) issues that need to be fixed.