After a crash, most people think about the car, the work schedule and the pain. Fewer think about the small items they wear every day. Glasses, hearing aids, dentures, a retainer or a mouth guard can be knocked off, bent, lost in the seat or left at home when a person leaves in a hurry. Any of those changes can affect how a person sees, hears, eats or talks in the days after a wreck, so it is worth writing them down before the first visit.
This article is general education, not a diagnosis. Only a licensed examiner can say what is causing a symptom. What you can do is describe what you used to use, what you use now and what has changed.
Make a short list before you leave
Start with a plain list of every device you wear or carry on a normal day. Include the make if it is printed on the frame or case, the prescription if you know it, and where the item usually sits at night. Add anything you took out for the drive, such as a hearing aid removed before a shower or dentures soaking on the nightstand. A list like this helps you remember what to bring and helps the examiner understand what your normal looked like.
Next, check each item. Look at glasses for bent arms, loose hinges, cracked lenses or a lens that has popped out. Look at a hearing aid for a cracked shell, a dead battery or a dome that has gone missing. Look at dentures or a retainer for chips, cracks, or a piece that no longer sits well against the gums or teeth. Write what you see in plain words, such as 'left arm bent back' or 'right lens scratched'. Do not try to repair anything at home with glue or tools, because a repair can hide the original condition.
Glasses and what they change
Many people notice that their glasses no longer sit straight after a crash. A frame that has shifted can make the world look tilted or blurry, even when the lenses are not damaged. If the glasses are lost, you may be squinting at screens, signs and printed forms. Bring the frame, the lenses, the case, and your current glasses if you have a spare pair. Note how long you have been using the spare, and whether it feels different from your normal pair.
Tell the examiner whether the change is in one eye or both, and whether it happens with reading, driving or walking. Those details help the examiner decide what to ask next. A note such as 'reading small print is hard since the crash' is more useful than 'my vision is off'.
Hearing aids and what sound does
A hearing aid that has been dropped, sat on or left in a wet jacket may stop working correctly. A dome or tube may come loose, a receiver may be clogged, or the battery may be drained. Hearing can also feel different for reasons that have nothing to do with the device, so do not assume the aid is the only cause. Bring the device, the charger, spare batteries or dry aids, and the case.
Write down where you were when you first noticed the change, whether the sound is muffled, buzzing or missing on one side, and whether the problem happens in quiet rooms, in cars or on the phone. If you use a phone app that connects to the aid, note whether the app still pairs. Many people forget this detail, and it can be easy to check before you leave home.
Dentures, retainers and bite
Dentures and clear retainers are easy to lose during a crash, especially if they were in a pocket, a purse or a cup in the car. A cracked denture may rub, pinch or shift when chewing. A retainer that no longer fits may feel tight or loose. Tell the examiner what you can chew, what hurts when you bite down, and whether your bite feels different than it did before the wreck. Describe it in your own words. 'The back teeth hit first now' is clear.
If you wear a mouth guard for sports or for night grinding, bring it too. Note whether you have been wearing it, since that is part of your usual routine.
Bringing the items to the visit
Put everything in one bag, and label small cases with your name. Keep the original boxes, cases and cleaning tools if you have them. If you cannot bring an item because it is lost or broken, say so at check-in and write down what it was. A missing item is still useful information.
Plan for the walk in. Glasses and hearing aids are easy to drop on a curb or in a parking lot, so keep them in a case until you are seated. If you need someone to read a form to you or hold the bag, ask a friend before you go in.
Finally, keep your list in your phone notes and bring a printed copy if you can. Ask the examiner how device information will be recorded and whether they want to note any visible damage. Each item on your list is part of the picture of your week after the wreck, and a short, honest list helps the examiner see that picture clearly.