Dental care is pertinent to our health. Most tooth decay and periodontal disease (gum disease) are caused by a lack of proper dental hygiene and an unbalanced diet. While there are few deaths from dental problems today, it wasn’t that long ago that most people, regardless of social class, had to have their teeth extracted in order to keep their body healthy and alive. In a TEOTWAWKI situation, with the poor diets that many have today, there are bound to be many deaths from dental problems.
The main mode of defense against these dental problems is taking control of them right now. Proper dental care now can keep you healthy and happy now and in an SHTF situation.
- Brushing your teeth twice a day keeps gum inflammation down and teeth clean of bacteria, which can cause cavities and tooth decay.
- Flossing is an important part of dental routine that many of us forget. It clears the bacteria from teeth and gums, and debris that toothbrushes alone cannot.
- Regular visits to the dentist twice a year allows the hygienist to thoroughly clean the teeth and make sure there are no further dental problems such as periodontal disease or cavities.
- Eat a balanced diet. Eating a balanced diet of fruits, veggies and whole grains will keep your body health and your mouth healthy, which is pertinent to survival now or in a TEOTWAWKI situation.
In the wake of a disaster, dentists will be in high demand as regular cleanings become unavailable. Eventually dentists will close altogether because their supplies and instruments will become unavailable. In order to prepare for this situation, it is important to prepare a survival dental kit.
- Toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss are essential dental care items to have in your dental prep kit, as they are the first line of defense in prevention of tooth decay and periodontal disease.
- Peroxide is widely used to sanitize the mouth and whiten teeth and is dirt cheap to stock up on. Be careful though; overusing peroxide can cause an oral yeast infection.
- Coconut oil. Coconut oil is used for what’s called “oil puling,” a technique that has apparently been used in the ancient world to draw toxins out of your mouth and ensure dental health.
- Oil of Cloves. This is an age-old remedy for tooth aches. Rubbing this on a tooth can relieve a toothache and when mixed with zinc oxide powder, it can be made into a thick filling for a cavity. Beeswax can also be used to make fillings if necessary.
- Oregano oil. This handy oil helps kill infections, heal your gums and alleviate dental pain.
- Other home remedies for relieving toothaches and numbing a tooth that can be used in the wake of disaster, such as a cotton ball soaked in alcohol, icepacks, baking soda dissolved in water, and warm salt water.
- Dental Hygienist tools, which include a mouth mirror, tongue scraper, and interdental cleaners of various shapes and sizes to make sure your teeth and mouth are free of harmful bacteria when you can’t regularly visit a dentist.
- Forceps, pliers, or sturdy tweezers will be necessary in order to pull teeth out if they are decaying or causing gum disease. There are also older tools such as dental keys that can be used to extract a tooth if necessary, although these have been known to break the tooth off, causing further dental infection or disease, or break the jaw.
Remember that extractions will be painful and your anesthesia will probably involve ice (or a large brick), so do whatever you can to keep your teeth in good shape to avoid dealing with actual restorative work after SHTF. If your teeth are in a really bad shape, my advice to you is to get good quality dentures or implants while you can.
Dental care is essential to our health and it begins with prevention. To prepare yourself and your survival dental kit, check out www.doomandbloom.net for the essential instruments and supplies and Murray Dickson’s book Where There is No Dentist.
In normal times, seek modern professional dental care where available. Learn more about dental issues in survival settings and much, much more in The Survival Medicine Handbook: The Essential Guide for When Medical Help is Not on the Way. Also, find a good dental kit in Nurse Amy’s store at store.doomandbloom.net.
Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.