Don't grin and bear a toothache -- here's help, June 25, 2000
 

If the word "dentist" brings to mind a certain song from "Little Shop of Horrors," you may have avoided your twice-a-year visits to such a professional. Sometimes, it catches up with you. What do you do if your filling falls out or you break a tooth? Don't panic. But don't avoid taking action.

Grab this book. California dentist Flora Parson Stay says she wrote this helpful volume after finding few references on dentistry for her patients.

And she's right. Hey, the only remedy for toothache I can ever remember reading is in Mark Twain's fictional Tom Sawyer -- out-of-date information from the same kid who took dead cats to the cemetary to get rid of warts. Not to worry. Dr. Stay, who has more than two decades' experience as a DDS, gives modern advice for toothache sufferers.

This is stuff we need to know. Too often, we have our family first aid kit equipped for every kind of emergency -- except dental ones. This book needs to be kept right next to your regular First Aid manual.

If your Little Leaguer gets popped by a bat, or fields a fastball that knocks his tooth out, did you know you can re-attach it? For real. Stay's on son suffered such an accident. His tooth reattached itself -- yours can, too. Surprise!

Knocked out teeth may be successfully replaced if done within a half-hour's time, Stay advises. Never hold the tooth by the root. Simply rinse off any blood or dirt and replace it in the socket. Then, get to the dentist immediately.

If you can't get to the dentist within that golden 30 minute time period,she says, keep the knocked-out tooth wrapped in a moist cloth or gauze, or placed in a container in milk. Dr. Stay says adults can simply leave the tooth under their tounge until they're seen by the dentist; this is a potential choking hazard for children, however.

Dr. Stay tells you how to put together a dental first aid kit, and what to do if you have an abcess, a cracked tooth, a lost filling or problems with your wisdom teeth. If your temporary crown falls out, stop by a drugstore for a temporary fix-it kit. There's information for denture wearers and people who may have suffered a broken jaw. Advice when to -- and when not to -- use over-the-counter painkillers for the hurt in your mouth.

Don't call the Tooth Fairy, consult The Complete Book of Dental Remedies instead. You'll feel better fast and have reason to smile.