Dental first aid kit

[Riven]

The other day my wife came home with a Lifesystems Dental First Aid kit (for free I might add).
It contains clove oil, unodent, swabs, dental mirror and a syringe. So has anyone here had need of such things and used them in the wild? All sounds rather painful to me.
I look forward to your cringeworthy stories.
Riven

 

[Janne]

Syringe?

With a sharp needle?

 

[Riven]

Yes Janne that worries me too.

 

[Janne]

The clove oil is useful if a large decay collapses a tooth ( a big hole appears), to calm the nerve, ( a drop on a small piece of cotton inserted in the hole) but that needs to be covered with a temporary filling.

What the syringe with a sharp on is for I do not know.
Inject the Oil of Cloves and you will die.
What is the 'unodent' ? It is a brand of dental stuff I know of.

Is there a website for the manufacturer on the instruction sheet? I would love to have it.

(I am a MD and Dental Surgeon btw)

 

[Janne]

Found it.
It does contain a tube of temporary cement (filling).

They say the syringe and needle are meant o be used by a dentist. So if you get a problem while outside civilization, be sure there is a dentist around that carries injectable pain killers and maybe a long acting anesthetic.

And a torch, unless you carry one, so somebody can illuminate your dark oral cavity while they look using the mirror!

Nice box it comes in! A very similar 'set'( First Aid Kit) was handed out in the Norwegian Farmacy in the closest town where I go, for free if you spend a certain amount.
The plasters there were useful. And the lovely and useful box!!

 

[Riven]

You beat me to it, yes it is cavity filling cement. The instructions make no mention of what to do with the needle.

 

[Janne]

It can double as a tattooing instrument in case you get bored sitting around the fire in forest.
Smear a bit of finely pulverized charcoal on your skin, tattoo a nice design, then smear more charcoal into the area!

Paleo tattooing Oetzi style!

Stupid to include it in the kit. Not sure what Security would say in an airport?

 

[HillBill]

The syringe could be for removing saliva from a cavity, prior to filling.

 

[Janne]

Does not work. Saliva is thick and sticky. The best is to dry it out by 'sucking' out the majority, then using cotton pellets.Will not get dry, but just 'dryer'.

The temp material will then hopefully not fall out straight away.

We use pressurized Air/Water spray to remove the saliva, then dry using a combination of high volume sucktion and pressurized dried air.

Imo those dental emergency kits are a waste of money. Sugarfree chewing gum is better, but you still need to get the cavity as dry as possible.

Strong painkillers are a must to carry. And I mean STRONG.

 

[Woody110]

I did Kilimanjaro a few years back, and spent a long time in the dentist chair having work done before hand. Best advice is prevention.

 

[Janne]

Write that into stone.

That is in fact the 11th Commandment, but Moses dropped that stone table.

 

[Broch]

Everyday first aid kits should not include a syringe but every full trekking kit going anywhere were they may be using old needles, rusty needles, infected needles.... should include a number of syringes and needles - not for you to use but for the doctor/dentist treating you. Of course, you have to be aware enough to make sure they are using your new needles on you and not putting them in their kit

BTW, can anyone recommend a replacement source for the temporary dental cavity filling? Once opened it goes hard after a while in the tube.

 

[Janne]

Would you trust your precious body with a Dr that does not use sterile, single use needles?

I would not.
Nor would I trust the stuff they might inject. Could be non sterile, or could be an agent banned in our semi civilized countries....

When I go to 'questionable' countries I carry tablets. Antibiotics, powerful pain killers,

Speak to your friendly Dentist for a small tube of Cavit. Or any other temporary filling material that does not need a Light curing lamp, or mixing.
Cavit is the most widely used one. Comes in Grey, or White. I prefer the Grey.

 

[Broch]

Needs must Janne; if you have no choice I'd rather have sterilised needles and if you're going to die of a snake bite I'd risk the anti-venom. Yes, my trekking first aid kit always includes the strongest pain killers that the country allows and includes antibiotics but some situations you don't have control of.

Thanks for the Cavit advice.

 

[Janne]

Of course sometimes we need to disregard our principles!

The Cavit in the small tubes does not last forever, but lasts longer if you keep it in the fridge between the treks.

Decades ago I worked in Haiti, in a mission clinic, in Port au Prince. Was there during the revolution when Baby Doc left.
Search online and it will tell you he left in one airplane full of the countries riches.
He did not. He left with TWO airplanes. I saw it myself.
Interesting times.

Anyway, we ran out of one use needles, so we had to sterilize them. Physical cleaning ( wire through the needle) then 10 minutes of rolling boil, then storage in 70% Rhum Barbancourt.
Haiti was then as today, a high HIV area.

Then we ran out of anesthetic, and had to work without. I did over 1000 extractions and some Oral Surgery WITHOUT any anesthetics.

Paleo surgery. The leather strap for the head was padded though.

Will never forget that time.

 

[Billy-o]

No veneers?

 

[Janne]

Not even the simplest filling!
100% extractions and oral surgery.
For more complex surgery we had Ether, but very limited amount.

We ( my then best friend from Uni and myself) were there for three months.

After the 'revolution' things got worse and US airlifted out their citizens, but we did not. The mission and clinic/mini hospital was in Cite de Soleil, a slum in downtown Port au Prince. (he area that got pulverized and the majority of people killed in the earthquake some years ago)

We were safe. People knew us as 'Le Docteur Blanc'.

 

[bob_the_baker]

Clove oil really is amazing stuff for oral pain. I'm blessed with great teeth but cursed with terrible gums, so I always take clove oil when I'm away from home just in case something flares up

 

[Billy-o]

70% Rhum Barbancourt.

I love that stuff! I used to pick it up dirt cheap, and it tastes amazing. Not as good as some Venezualan ones I have slurped at in the past, but for the cost ...

 

[Janne]

The Rum factory was barely functioning then. They had run out of proper bottles, so they used recycled plastic bottles.
We bought some 45% to drink, and the 70% one for sterilization.

The 45% was just as nice as today though. Dry and crisp.. I hardly touch alcohol these days. Max one or two bottles of beer.


70% Alcohol is a superb agent to disinfect the skin or small wounds.