On a previous thread about Medical preps (thanks to many, and special thanks to Dr. Schenker), one person who is a dentist wrote mentioning not to forget dental care preps. If this dentitist is still monitoring this forum, would you please provide information and information sources relating to preping for emergency and routine dental care when access to a dentist may not be available.

I know one thing I have seen suggested is to get all dental procedures you may need taken care of now. Unfortunately, that may not be financially possible for some, but if it is, it's probably a good idea.

Looking for info for-- dealing with pain of toothache? Dealing with infection? Pulling teeth? Toothpaste / toothbrush substitutes? What to do for cavities? And more... please post here. Thanks.

-- winter wondering (winterwondering@yahoo.com), July 19, 1999

Answers

www.medicalcorps.org

-- seraphima (seraphima@aol.com), July 19, 1999.

There are small dental kits available on the internet that claim to be self-applicable for temporary dental care. Can't recall where I saw them and I didn't order any. But they were inexpensive.

-- Gus (y2kk@usa.net), July 19, 1999.

WalMart has some dental kits for about $4. It allows you to pak a filling or cement on a cap. Think it has toothache stuff too. I bought a pair of pliers at John Deere the other day for pulling molars. They have a dog leg in them allowing one to grip a tooth and hopefully not break it off.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), July 19, 1999.

ww,

if I remember correctly, you're looking for long-timer Will Huett. Anyone know how to reach him?

-- flora (***@__._), July 19, 1999.

An exellent pain killer is water. If you have a tooth ache, or stomach ulcer pain, drink a half gallon of water a day and the pain is gone! Also good for joint pain, etc. Try it, it works! Drinking a half gallon of water a day will also cause you to LOSE WEIGHT the easy way, painlessly!

-- freddie (freddie@thefreeloader.com), July 20, 1999.

PS. Coke, pepsie or coffie does NOT caunt as water. For more info on this theory enter this name in your search engine. You will find numerous websites about this theory! batmanghelidj

He is an Iranian Doctor who was put in prison during the Khomanie days. No medicine to treat sick prisoners, so he told them to drink lots of water. Amazing things happened. Prisoners lowered their blood pressure, got rid of arthritis, cured stomach ulcers, asthma, angina pain, back pain, joint pain, etc, etc. He wrote a book called "Your bodie's many cries for water". An excellent read!!!!!

-- freddie (freddie@thefreeloader.com), July 20, 1999.

Two books "Where There Is No Doctor" and "Where There Is No Dentist" are 2 publications written for use by missionaries (?) etc to 3rd (!) world countries and that seemed to deal with many of the medical concerns on this thread.

I would suggest that you investigate dental schools for care- also possible purchasing some of the independently sold dental protection plans- I have seen them for $9-19/ month and if they cover basic fillings etc, and you're willing to do what I did once- which was to have 13 fillings done ONE day and 14 fillings the next-- you could be much better off- (the scenario was that I found out that my coverage would lapse in THREE days, and all my 10+ year old fillings were developing cracks that were allowing decay to "creep" under them- I was lucky to have a co-operative dentist who took pity on a poor college student and who was willing to clear his appointment schedule for me.- TARI

-- Chuck, a night driver' wife (rienzoo@en.com), July 20, 1999.

Dear Winter,

As this is a topic very near and dear to me, I have given it considerable thought. Last fall I toyed with putting together a kit, even went so far as to order enough for 10 or 20, but the fine print on some of the ingredients opened me for legal hassles that I don't need.

Also, and more to the heart of the matter, is the fact that there is really very little that can be done at the amateur level for genuine emergencies. Oft times the cure can be nearly as bad as the disease. As i was working on the kits, the instructions regarding the complications that could arise from the treatments quickly overwhelmed the directions for usage!

Believe me when I tell you that as a GI since April of 97 I have thought long and hard on this and the best thing you can do is what you already suggested and that is get your mouth in the optimum state of repair prior to rollover. Let me take a moment to elaborate,

Fillings:

Replace all over 5 years of age. The old silver kind will last longer than tooth colored and gold will last forever. ( meaning the filling itself won't wear out, like the others, think tires on a car. It doesn't mean you can't get more decay, break the tooth, etc.)

If the filling is very large, consider capping the tooth. Large fillings weaken teeth and they break with regularity. Not good.

Dentures:

All denture wearers know how hard it is to get a new set comfortable. I would recommend a new one now while there is time for the necessary adjustments. This will give you a spare if the old one gets broken or lost.

Gum care:

The most important long term and the one that you have the most real control over. Have them cleaned and KEEP THEM CLEAN. You don't need toothpaste. Salt, baking soda, or NOTHING but water will work just fine. Floss, lots of floss.

The best, the VERY BEST thing you can do for your mouth next year is practice meticuluous hygiene. If your dentistry is current and your hygiene is good, then you should be ok, meaning the odds of other problems impacting you are greater than dental trouble.

But make no mistake, IMO dental emergencies will comprise a very large percentage of debilitating common problems!!

Dental pain is the most incapacitating pain that most people ever will endure. Many mothers have told me they would rather have a baby. If one of your teeth abscess, it is going to be very hard to weed the garden or stand watch.

The little kits to recement are fine, I would recomend a tube or two of cushion grip or polygrip. You can keep a crown on with this (I kept a bridge in my father-in-law this way for three weeks once) and you won't have the problem of getting the cement off that oozes out when you put it on. This will harden in between the teeth and cause trouble.

Get some antibiotics and NSAIDS. Don't put aspirin on a tooth!!!!

From time to time, someone will come to me sayiing they are leaving the country for a time and don't want to go to the dentist in Sri Lanka or wherever. We sit down together and restore everything that I think will could cause them trouble. FWIW, to date, no one has come to me and said I'm worried about y2k what can you do?

If they did, I would repair them and stock them with appropriate medicines. My point is if you have a close relationship with your dentist, talk to him. If, however, you are tired of the looks and smirks, tell him you are leaving the country and won't be back for two years, what should you do to avoid problems? Then go to another one and get a second opinion, same story.

I will be happy to provide such as I can on this forum if enough people are interested. I can elaborate specific treatments, pros and cons, explain choices, etc.

I really do believe that aside from those already suffering from major systemic disease, dental emergencies will be the most serious and common problem for most healthy folks. And the phrase supply chain problems applies nowhere as acutely. The average dentist couldn't practice two weeks except in the most rudimentary manner, without re-supply regardless of power and sewage status.

I am eager to help in whatever way I can here.

Regards,

Will

-- Will Huett (willhuett@usa.net), July 23, 1999.

In addition to brushing and flossing, do any of the mouthwashes that claim to kill germs really work, even a little? If so, which active ingredients should we look for? Does that Enamelon (sp?) toothpaste do anything?

-- biker (y2kbiker@worldnet.att.net), July 23, 1999.

Biker,

The over the counter rinses are primarily alcohol. They kill bacteria, and certainly don't hurt. Peridex is Rx only and my personal favorite is Retardex. This is available only in dental offices and it is truly remarkable in its effects. It kills by oxidation and will knock out bad breath in one or two uses. I don't know its shelf life off the top of my head, I will look into it.

Control of bacteria is best accomplished by limiting sugar in between meals. Snacking causes enormous continuously high bacterial counts. If you don't snack and then stir the little bastards up once a day with your floss, you keep them in check quite well.

I have read no research on Enamelon so I cannot comment specifically. However, remember that your teeth act as a repository for calcium just like your bones do. It is a bank if you will and as such deposits and withdrawals are made continuosly. I am habitually sceptical of commercial products that fund their own research. That is quite common today. It is presented as bona fide science when it is not.

Regards,

Will

-- Will Huett (willhuett@usa.net), July 23, 1999.

So my stash of vodka really is for "medicinal purposes" ! hehehe

I've just done a little research, and chlorine dioxide (active ingredient in Retardex) sounds like great stuff. It is also used to purify water and clean food processing machines.

Retadex rinse and Retardent toothpaste, (also known as CloSYS rinse and toothpaste) are available from many sources on the net. I didn't see any info on shelf life.

I also noticed an article that said the various "tartar control" toothpastes really do slow the buildup of new tartar better than plain toothpaste, and that according to the American Dental Association (ADA), both Listerine and Peridex- have proven to significantly reduce plaque.

-- biker (y2kbiker@worldnet.att.net), July 25, 1999.

Bacteria stick to the tooth and for colonies called plaque. This mass absorbs calcium from the saliva and hardens forming tartar or calculus. All that is necessary is to remove the plaque prior to hardening and you will have no calculus build-up. Anything that kills the bugs will aid in this quest. Any area that is habitually missed when brushing will build up these deposits. That is why having your teeth cleaned is so important.

Biker, I would appreciate links to some of the chlorine dioxide sites you mentioned.

Thanks,

Will

-- Will Huett (willhuet@USA.NET), July 28, 1999.

Here you go.

Rowpar Pharmaceuticals makers of CloSYS

Arizona Breath Clinic

International Dioxide Inc.

Frontier Pharmaceuticals They make another brand of ClO2 toothpaste and mouthwash

The ClO2 Water Treatment resource Center

www.neoforma.com/pd/index.html?PageMode=Offerings&prodKey=220030984

Breathaid.com

www.epspiegeldds.com/oral.html one of many individual dentists who sell Retardex

st13.yahoo.net/dentalstore/badbreatprod.html

www.riodent.com/halitosis.html

I did find this on the Water Treatment Recource Center site:

"Solutions of approximately 1% ClO2 (10 g/L) may safely be stored at 50C for several months, with little change in concentration, provided that the solution has no gas space and is protected from light."

-- biker (y2kbiker@worldnet.att.net), July 28, 1999.