What dental conditions can the NAR Dental Emergency Kit treat?
The North American Rescue Dental Emergency Kit is designed for temporary field management of the most common dental emergencies: toothaches, broken or cracked teeth, lost fillings, broken crowns, and post-extraction bleeding. The Dentemp re-cementation material handles lost fillings and crowns, benzocaine gel provides topical pain relief, clove oil addresses pulp pain and dry socket discomfort, and ActCel hemostatic gauze controls post-extraction bleeding. These are temporary measures to sustain the patient until they can reach a dentist.
Is this kit appropriate for non-dental professionals to use?
Yes. The NAR Dental Emergency Kit is designed for use by medics, corpsmen, paramedics, wilderness EMTs, and other trained responders who may encounter dental emergencies in austere environments far from dental care. The included materials — Dentemp, benzocaine gel, and clove oil — are available over-the-counter and widely used in consumer dental emergency kits. No dental degree is required for the temporary repairs this kit enables, though formal field medicine training is recommended.
What makes the ActCel hemostatic gauze significant in a dental kit?
ActCel is an oxidized cellulose hemostatic gauze that accelerates clot formation in oral wounds, making it valuable for managing post-extraction bleeding, oral lacerations, and other intraoral bleeding emergencies. In austere environments without suture capability, hemostatic gauze packing is often the most effective method to control oral hemorrhage. Its inclusion elevates the NAR Dental Kit beyond a simple comfort kit to one capable of managing potentially serious dental bleeding events.
How big and heavy is the Dental Emergency Kit — will it fit in a standard aid bag?
The NAR Dental Emergency Kit measures 6.5 in. × 4.5 in. × 2 in. and weighs only 6 oz — roughly the size and weight of a small paperback book. It fits easily in any IFAK pocket, aid bag side pocket, ship's medical locker, or expedition pack. The compact size makes it practical to include in extended care kits for military units, maritime vessels, wilderness trips, or any mission profile where dental access may be delayed.
Does the Dental Emergency Kit include infection control supplies?
Yes. The kit includes two pairs of Black Talon nitrile examination gloves and a red biohazard bag for waste disposal. The dental mirror and forceps support examination without direct hand contact. These items enable proper infection control protocol during any dental exam or temporary repair procedure performed in a field or austere environment.
What dental procedures can this kit support?
The compact Dental Emergency Kit supports temporary filling placement, oral examination, dental pain management (topical anesthetic, dressing), and basic wound packing for tooth socket management. It does not include local anesthetic injection supplies or extraction forceps suitable for surgical extractions — for those capabilities, see the Dental Emergency Response Kit (DERK).
What training is required to use the Dental Emergency Kit?
Basic dental procedures covered by this kit are taught in the 68W extended field care curriculum and 18D Special Forces Medical Sergeant training. The temporary filling materials and topical anesthetics require familiarity with oral anatomy and basic dental technique.
Is this kit suitable for field extraction?
The compact Dental Emergency Kit provides basic exam and temporary intervention capability. For extractions, providers need appropriate training, forceps for the target tooth, and ideally local anesthetic injection capability — features present in the full Dental Emergency Response Kit (DERK).
Does the kit include anesthetic injection capability?
The compact kit includes topical anesthetic gel for mucosal surface pain reduction. It does not include aspirating syringe, dental needles, or injectable local anesthetic — those are included in the full Dental Emergency Response Kit (DERK) for trained providers.
Is the kit available for government procurement?
NAR dental products are available through authorized distributors including MED-TAC International. Contact MED-TAC International for current pricing and government contract vehicle availability.
