Post-Operative Instructions
Have you just had a dental procedure completed by us? If so, simply follow the postoperative instructions outlined below to make sure your recovery is quick and painless! Simply scroll down to the appropriate section to find tips and notes on what to expect and what to do after receiving a particular treatment. If you have any questions or are experiencing persistent pain, be sure to contact us as soon as you can.
Post-Op Instructions
Fillings
Once we've restored your teeth with tooth-colored materials, these restorations will serve you well for several years. The resin material used contains small “filler” particles of glass-like material for strength and wear resistance. They contain the finest and most up-to-date materials available today. However, you should be aware of the following information about your new restorations:
- As with natural teeth, avoid chewing excessively hard foods on the filled teeth (hard candy, ice, raw carrots, etc.) because the resin material can break under extreme forces.
- Composite fillings set up hard right away. There is no waiting time to eat. Children should be observed until the anesthetic wears off. Due to the strange feeling of the anesthetic, many children will chew the inside of their lips, cheeks, or tongue which can cause serious damage.
- Sensitivity to hot and cold is common for a few days, few weeks or few months for some patients following any size dental restoration. Usually though, the deeper the cavity, the more sensitive the tooth will be. If you feel the bite is not correctly balanced, please call for an appointment for a simple adjustment.
- The gum tissue could have been irritated during the procedure and may be sore for a few days together with the anesthetic injection site.
- The finished restoration may be contoured slightly different and have a different texture than the original tooth. Your tongue usually magnifies this small difference, but you will become accustomed to this in a few days.
When a tooth has a cavity the dentist removes the decay and fills the hole with filling material, the tooth supports the filling. When you get a cavity that takes up more than half of the tooth, sometimes a crown is indicated. A crown covers the entire tooth and holds the tooth together. Sometimes we place a filling thinking there is enough tooth to hold the filling when actually the tooth’s job is bigger than the filling can handle. The tooth may starts to break away because it can no longer support the filling. In this case sometimes a ver large filling for a tooth may result in the tooth ultimately needing a crown instead to best support the tooth and restoring your bite.
Post-Op Instructions
Temporaries, Crowns, Bridges, Inlays & Onlays
- Be cautious of how numb you or your child are for the first 2-6 hours after being numbed. Avoid active chewing so you don't bite your lips, cheeks, or scrape your gums. Children should be watched carefully to make sure they don’t do this. It will damage soft tissues and result in pain. If your child bites their lip and gets swollen and does not go away on it's own after 2-3 days then please call our office for an appointment to evaluate.
- Temporaries are not designed to be very strong. They are generally good as a place holder for the few weeks you have it and for general chewing, but they may break or come off occasionally. If so, slip it back on the tooth with some Denture Adhesive if needed and call our office for an appointment. Please do not leave the temporary out of your mouth because the teeth will move and the final restoration will not fit. Floss as directed.
- The size, shape and color of the temporary does not resemble the final restoration.
- Sensitivity to hot, cold, pressure or sweets is not uncommon. If you feel the bite is not correctly balanced, call for an appointment for a simple adjustment.
- After the final cementation of your permanent restoration, it may take a few days to get used to the new crown or bridge. Hot and cold sensitivity is possible for a few weeks and occasionally lasts for several months. As with the temporary, if the bite doesn't feel balance, please call our office.
- Do not eat sticky or hard foods on the restoration for 24 hours from the time they were cemented. The cement must set up during this time to have optimum strength.
- Proper brushing, flossing and regular 6 month (minimal) cleanings are required to help you retain your final restoration. The only area that a crowned tooth may decay is at the edge of the crown at the gum line. Often, small problems that develop around the restorations can be found at an early stage and corrected easily. Waiting for a longer time may require redoing the entire restoration.
Post-Op Instructions
Nightguards
You should rinse your night guard with warm water each morning immediately after removing it from your mouth. After rinsing, use a toothbrush with soap and not toothpaste to gently scrub away any lingering plaque or saliva. You may use a soft toothpaste as well once in a while but be aware that constant use with toothpaste will scratch the plastic and can make it more difficult to clean.
When your night guard is clean, you should make sure it is completely dry before storing it in its freshly-sanitized case. Keeping your night guard in a damp, humid location will encourage the growth of bacteria.
At least once a week, you should deep clean your night guard. You can choose from several methods, including:
> Over-the-counter denture cleaner such as Retainer Brite: Place your night guard in a bowl of water, then add the cleaner and allow it to dissolve completely
> Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide: Soak the night guard in vinegar for at least 30 minutes, rinse with water, and then soak it in hydrogen peroxide for another 30 minutes.
> Mouthwash: Mix mouthwash with water and soak the night guard for 30 minutes.
Post-Op Instructions
Scaling & Root Planing/Deep Cleaning
Sensitivity to cold and heat will subside. Do not chew or eat until numbness subsides. Brush and floss as usual. Your gums may bleed a bit for a few days.
Post-Op Instructions
Extractions
- Pressure should be placed on the gauze pad that has been put over the extraction site for one hour. If the bleeding continues new gauze should be placed and pressure applied for another 45 minutes.
- If you are supervising children who have had an extraction done, make sure they don’t bite on their numb lips or tongue (it can cause serious injury to their soft tissue).
- Avoid eating or drinking anything hot on the day of your extraction. Also, do not rinse your mouth and do not use a straw for drinking. Do not spit and do not drink carbonated beverages. Drink plenty of fluids. (Do not use a straw—this creates suction in the mouth that could cause complications). Do not brush that area on the day of the surgery; you can gently resume your brushing and flossing the day after.
- You may experience some pain, bruising around your lips, and/or some swelling, especially after extraction of impacted wisdom teeth. Ice bag application and medication prescribed for you will help to minimize your discomfort.
- Use ice packs on the surgical area (side of face) for the first 48 hours; apply ice 20 minutes on and 10 minutes off. (Note: Bags of frozen peas work well.)
- For mild discomfort, take Tylenol® or ibuprofen every 3–4 hours.
- For severe pain, please take any medication you may have received based on the provided instructions.
- We suggest that you do not smoke for at least 5 days after surgery.
- Avoid strenuous activity and do not exercise for at least 3–4 days after surgery. After that, be careful: your regular caloric and fluid intake have been reduced, so you may get light-headed, dizzy, or weak.
- If the muscles of the jaw become stiff, the use of warm moist heat to the outside of your face over the spots that are stiff will relax these muscles.
- After the first post-operative day, use a warm salt water rinse following meals for the first week to flush out particles of food and debris that may lodge in the surgical area. (Mix ½ teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water. Mouthwash can be added for better taste.)
- During the first 2-3 days after surgery a diet of soft food and liquids is recommended (soup, yogurt, milkshakes and juice). For the first week your diet should consist mainly of soft, easily swallowed foods and cool drinks. Avoid anything that might get stuck in your teeth, so no seeds, nuts, rice, popcorn, or similar foods.
- Call our office if you experience excessive bleeding, severe pain or swelling, or if you have any questions or concerns. In case of serious emergencies call 911.
Post-Op Instructions
Dentures & Partials
Sore Spots: In most cases, your mouth will have a few “sore spots” after wearing the denture/partial within the first week. After the first week if your mouth has not adjusted and the pain still exists, adjustments are needed to the denture/partial. These areas can be relieved with very little effort during your next appointment.
- Chewing: Your new bite may not feel completely comfortable for several weeks. We can adjust the contacting surfaces of your teeth after the dentures/partials have settled into place.
- Hygiene for your Dentures/Partials and your mouth: Your denture/partials can be cleaned easily by using a denture brush and running water. To further cleanse and freshen, Efferdent tablets may be used in conjunction with your denture bath. *Note: Denture bath water must be replaced nightly to minimize bacteria growth and calcium deposits on the prosthetic.
Dentures only: Gently brush your gums with a regular toothbrush once per day to toughen and clean them.
Partials only: Use special care to clean parts of the partial that contact any natural teeth. Both the partial and the natural teeth must be kept very clean on a daily basis to reduce the chance of new dental decay starting.
We have done our best to provide you with well-fitted, functional and esthetic dentures/partials. We're confident that after a few weeks of becoming adjusted to your new dentures/partials, you will have years of satisfaction from them. In the absence of missing teeth, your jawbone and gums shrink. When this occurs, your dentures/partials will feel loose and may require relining. Wearing ill-fitting dentures/partials for too long without refitting may cause severe bone loss and very serious oral disease. Please call our office if you experience these symptoms.
Post-Op Instructions
Take-Home Teeth Whitening
- Whitening can only be effective if you consistently wear the tray for the prescribed number of hours, as directed by one of our dentists. If you experience any severe discomfort or other problems, discontinue using the trays and contact our office immediately. Some patients may experience temporary sensitivity during the first 24 hours of treatment.
- It is important to also let the color stabilizer or 1-2 weeks after completion of your at-home whitening session. So sipping coffee through a straw and either avoiding or limiting other staining foods, such as red whine, tea and other similar stainers will help you achieve the results you desire more closely. It can also be helpful to swish with regular water for 20-30 seconds after you drink or eat any of those foods to help rinse out the particles.
Post-Op Instructions
CandidPro Clear Aligners
Always wear the appliance for the required number of hours per day, as directed by your dentist.
Faithful wearing of the appliance will reduce the tendency of teeth shifting after treatment.