Emergency Care

 CONTACT NUMBERS:

Dr. Steven Baldwin                                            415-387-5711    

Berkeley Office (Tuesday and Friday)                  510-486-0775

San Francisco Office (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday)   415-387-7711

EMERGENCY TIPS:

BLEEDING:   rinse with salt water to clean, and apply strong pressure for 10 to 30 minutes. You can use a clean towel, gauze, Band-Aid or a tea bag; the tannic acid in tea bags may help stop bleeding.  If there was recent surgery, the pressure may need to be applied for up to 2 hours.

PAIN:  ice, at least 20 minutes ( no less or you can bring on more inflammation)

If no medical contraindictions, you can take 400mg of ibuprofen (Advil) and 1000mg of acetominophen (Tylenol) together every 4-6 hours with food for strong pain relief.

Ground clove, salts and baking soda mixed or alone in a thick solution or packed around area.  Be careful not to burn the skin.

LOST FILLING:  if it is not sensitive or sharp call us during business hours: it is seldom an emergency.  If it is a food trap or sensitive you may pack wax, gum or an over the counter (OTC) temporary dental material.  If it is sharp take a piece of fine sandpaper on a fingertip or emery board and sand it down.

If you LOST SOME TYPE OF CROWN you often can just put it back in and it will stay fairly well.  You can dry the tooth and crown and put a couple drops of denture adhesive in the crown and put it back. Practice first!  If it will not go down easily, leave it off, just be careful eating and see dentist ASAP.  Always take the restoration with you to the appointment.

SORES/ULCERS:  Use warm salt water, baking soda, or honey on the area. OTC numbing gels (like Orajel or Anbesol) help to make eating comfortable.

 INFECTIONS:  thick salt or Epsom salt water rinses. Hydrogen peroxide rinses but watch the tissue response. You can hold a very wet, hot, towel covered with Epsom salt against the cheek for 20 -30 minutes, over the effected area.

PARTIALLY AVULSED (KNOCKED OUT) TEETH:    rinse well with water, salt water, baking soda and water, or milk. Push the tooth back in place, bite down to check the bite and hold the tooth in the correct position. See a dentist or oral surgeon ASAP

 AVULSED (KNOCKED OUT) TEETH:  rinse mouth well with water, salt or baking soda and water, or milk.  If you have the tooth, rinse it also but do not scrub it or touch the root surface.  If this is done quickly  you can put the tooth back in the socket.  Bite down to check the position, and hold it in place.  After about 20 minutes it will most likely not go right back in.  Put the tooth into a container with the material you rinsed out with.  See a dentist or oral surgeon ASAP.