Also on Backpacker.com

EDITORS' CHOICE AWARDS 2010: THE BEST NEW GEAR

OVER 3,000 GPS-ENABLED TRIPS!

DAILY DIRT BLOG: THE LATEST OUTDOOR NEWS

GEAR PRO: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

MEDICINE MAN: ESSENTIAL SKILLS REVEALED

BACKPACKING 101: GET STARTED NOW!

VIDEOS: FEND OFF A BEAR, PACK RIGHT, AND MORE.

PHOTOS: FEAST YOUR EYES WITH THESE SHOTS

Share your tales of travel & adventure with our step-by-step guide. Upload trail descriptions, photos, video, and more.

Backpacker Magazine – November 2009

The Ultimate First-Aid Manual: Dental Emergencies

Soothe tooth pain with these helpful remedies.

by: Buck Tilton

LEARN MORE
The Ultimate First-Aid Manual
Wilderness Medicine Institute cofounder Buck Tilton boils down a lifetime's worth of experience into 62 tips

Photo Tutorials: First Aid Center
From splinting a broken leg to duct taping a bloody wound, the BACKPACKER First Aid Center is an invaluable resource for backcountry first aid.

Toothache Rinse your mouth with a solution of half a teaspoon of salt and eight ounces of water several times a day. If pain, sensitivity to hot and cold, and swelling exist, get to a doctor–it could be an abcess.

Broken tooth Rinse the tooth thoroughly with drinking water, then protect the sensitive nerve by placing a chewed piece of gum over the break. Apply a cold-water bladder to the patient's cheek to reduce swelling, and take ibuprofen for the pain. Hike out to your dentist.

Subscribe to Backpacker magazine
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

PRINT THIS PAGE EMAIL THIS PAGE RSS FEED