That’s interesting about the milk—my dentist said the same thing, but I always wondered if it really makes a difference compared to saline. We don’t usually have milk in the car or at the park, which is where my son managed to knock his tooth out last year. Ended up just wrapping it in a clean napkin and heading straight to urgent care, which I later learned probably wasn’t ideal.
I’m curious, has anyone found a good way to actually keep saline on hand? I tried those little ampoules from the pharmacy, but they seem to expire pretty quickly. Also, do you bother replacing them regularly, or is it just one of those things you hope you’ll never need? I feel like I’m overthinking it, but after that scare, I’d rather be prepared than not.
I totally get the anxiety about not having the “right” thing on hand—it’s one of those scenarios you don’t really think about until it happens. I’ve tried keeping those saline ampoules in my bag too, but honestly, half the time I forget to check the dates and they’re expired when I actually look. Lately, I just keep a small bottle of unopened contact lens saline in the car since it has a longer shelf life. Not perfect, but it’s better than nothing if you’re out and about. Honestly, after my daughter’s accident, I started overthinking it all too... but I guess that’s just how our brains work after a scare like that.
I totally get wanting something on hand, but I have to admit, contact lens saline isn’t actually the top pick for knocked-out teeth. It’s easy to assume any sterile liquid will do in a pinch (I’ve been there myself—once tried using saline from my first aid kit when my nephew had an accident at the park), but dentists usually recommend milk or even just having the person hold the tooth in their mouth if possible. Milk’s got properties that help preserve the cells on the root, which can make a difference if you’re racing to get to a dentist.
I get why you’d keep saline in the car—it feels proactive and it’s definitely better than nothing. But after talking with a pediatric dentist, I started keeping those little shelf-stable cartons of milk in our emergency kit instead. They last ages and don’t need refrigeration until opened. It might sound odd, but it could buy you precious time. I still overthink these things too—parent brain never really shuts off after a scare...
I’ve been there—my son managed to knock his front tooth out on a trampoline (because of course he did). I panicked, grabbed the nearest water bottle, and then remembered reading somewhere that milk was better. Cue me sprinting to the fridge. Step one: panic. Step two: realize you’re panicking. Step three: grab milk, not water. I never thought shelf-stable cartons would be useful, but now we keep them in the glovebox. Still feels weird, but hey, beats trying to explain to a dentist why you handed over a tooth in a sandwich bag...
I totally relate to the panic! My daughter chipped her tooth falling off her scooter and I swear my brain just froze for a second. I’d always heard about the milk thing too, but in the moment, it’s like all logic goes out the window. We ended up using cold water (oops) and the dentist still managed to save most of it, but now we keep a little carton of milk in the pantry... just in case. It’s weird prepping for random tooth emergencies, but honestly, it beats having regrets later.
