Escapees May June 2015 Demo

Temporary Solutions for Dental EMergencies By Ronald Dingee DMD, MPH #59338

When I plan for a long trip, I spend several days getting ready. I have the oil changed, check the air pressure in the tires, check fluid levels, stock up on food and water, make certain I have my favorite tools and restock spare parts. I even go so far as

to make certain that my insurance policies are up-to-date and call my credit card company to let them know that I will be on the road. The last thing I want is to be out in the middle of nowhere with an unexpected emergency that could have been pre- vented with a little pre-planning. But, in spite of all of the pre-planning, medical emergencies can arise. One such medi- cal emergency rarely written about is a dental emergency. L ast spring, my wife and I were on our way from Southern California to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We were in Flagstaff, Arizona, when at 1:30 in the morning I woke up with a nagging toothache. At first it was just an ache, but it got worse. I took a couple of Advil and applied a cold compress that helped, but only a little. Being a retired dentist, I had a good idea what was causing the problem. We discussed the options: we could go back home, wait out the night and hope to find a dentist open on Saturday morning in Flagstaff, or drive to a larger city where the chances would be better that I would find a dentist. We decided to drive the rest of the night to the first big city we could find. Continued ›››

“…in spite of all of the pre-planning, medical emergencies can arise. One…rare- ly written about is a dental emergency.”

www.escapees.com | May/June 2015 | ESCAPEES . 67