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my kid chipped a tooth - anyone tried those dental emergency kits?
My 7-year-old took a tumble off his scooter last weekend and chipped one of his front teeth pretty badly. After the initial panic (mostly mine, lol), I remembered we had one of those dental emergency kits stashed away that my sister-in-law gave us ages ago. Honestly, I never thought we'd actually use it, but there I was, fumbling through instructions and trying to calm down a crying kid at the same time.
Anyway, it had some temporary filling stuff and a little container for tooth fragments. Seemed to help him feel better until we got to the dentist the next morning. Dentist said we did good, but I'm still not sure if it really made a difference or if it was just psychological comfort for both of us, you know?
Curious if anyone else has used these kits before and if you think they're worth keeping around or just another thing cluttering up the medicine cabinet.
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4 replies
We had a similar situation last year when my daughter fell off the monkey bars at school and chipped her tooth. Didn't have one of those kits handy (didn't even know they existed, tbh), so we just wrapped the fragment in a damp paper towel and rushed to the dentist. It turned out okay, but I think having something like that kit would've made me feel a bit more prepared and less panicky. Even if it's mostly psychological, peace of mind counts for a lot when your kid's hurt...
"Even if it's mostly psychological, peace of mind counts for a lot when your kid's hurt..."
Totally agree with this. Honestly, I've never used one of those kits either - usually just grab whatever's handy and head straight to the dentist. But having something ready ahead of time does sound reassuring, especially in those panic moments...
Yeah, I see your point about the kits being mostly psychological. But isn't that kind of true with most emergency prep stuff anyway? I've had plenty of dental mishaps myself (unfortunately...) and in the moment, you're not exactly thinking clearly. Having something structured to grab onto - even if it's just instructions or a temporary fix - can really help calm things down until you reach the dentist. It's worth it for that alone, I'd say.
For future readers, the fragment container may be the most practically useful part of the kit: if a piece breaks off, keep it moist in milk or saline if available and bring it to the dentist. Don’t try to glue it back, and don’t treat temporary filling material as a replacement for prompt dental assessment. Whether the tooth is a baby tooth or a permanent one matters; ask the dentist how to handle a baby-tooth fragment.