We have provided on this page post operative dental instructions and information for common dental procedures provided in our office. Click on the word below that corresponds to your treatment. If you have further questions, please call our office.
COMPOSITE FILLINGS
- 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 will occasionally occur for a few weeks following a dental restoration. Usually, the deeper the cavity, the more sensitive the tooth will be. It is important that the bite is correctly balanced in order for the sensitivity to improve. If the bite does not feel even with the other teeth, 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. Feel free to take Advil or Tylenol to help with the soreness.
- 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
- If the sensitivity lingers longer than a few weeks, please call the office to have it examined.
CROWNS & ONLAYS
Temporary Crowns
- Temporaries are not strong. Be careful with hard or sticky foods in order to not pull off or break the temporary. Generally do not floss the around your temporary crown unless instructed otherwise.
- If your temporary comes out, save the temporary if possible and please call the office and get an appointment to have it replaced. Generally no harm will be done to the tooth for a couple of days if the temporary is not in place, although the prepared tooth may be sensitive to hot and cold. Please do not leave the temporary out of your mouth for more than two or three days because the teeth will move and the final restoration may not fit. The size, shape, and color of the temporary does not resemble the final restoration.
- Temporary restorations do not seal the tooth as well as the permanent restoration will. Sensitivity to hot, cold, pressure, or sweets is not uncommon. 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. Feel free to take Advil or Tylenol to help with the soreness.
Permanent Crowns
- After the final cementation of your 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 balanced please call us.
- Do not chew hard or sticky 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 cleanings are required to help you retain your final restoration. The only area that a crowned tooth can 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, but waiting for a longer time may require replacing the entire restoration.
NIGHT GUARDS
- Purpose: The purpose of splint therapy is to help your lower jaw function more properly. This appliance will help to relax any of your jaw muscles which are in spasm and to reduce any muscle pain by evenly distributing your bite forces, as well as removing interferences. There are many situations that may cause your lower jaw to malfunction including accidental trauma, developmental defects, peculiar oral habits, naturally occurring malocclusion (poor bite), psychological stress, clenching or bruxing of teeth, and other problems.
- Rationale: You have received an acrylic bite splint (occlusal splint). This treatment has been used for many years to keep the teeth from contacting while you sleep and to allow the lower jaw to return to a comfortable hinge position without interference and guidance from the teeth. It is essential that you wear your night guard every night and you may also wear it during the day if you find yourself clenching or grinding your teeth.
- Cleaning the Splint: Food will accumulate under the splint. After brushing and flossing your teeth very thoroughly, brush and rinse the inside and outside of the splint and return it to your mouth.. Using a dental soak cleanser (ex: Polident) on a monthly basis will help keep the splint fresh.
- If your pain increases after wearing the splint, please call the office for an appointment for an adjustment of the splint.
- Keep the splint away from dogs – they really love these things!
ROOT CANALS
Following root canal treatment it is possible to experience any of the following
symptoms: sensitivity to hot and/or cold; sensitivity to pressure; possible swelling,
pain. If you experience swelling, please call our office immediately as additional
medication may be required.
- Normally we will recommend the appropriate pain medication for your treatment before you leave our office. We commonly will advise two ibuprofen tablets (Advil) combined with two Tylenol tablets, taken no more than every 6 hours as needed for comfort. If this is not adequate, please call our office.
- One common occurrence with a newly root-canalled tooth is for the tooth to feel high when you bite your teeth together. If this occurs it will cause your tooth to stay sensitive for a longer period of time. Please call us if your bite feels “high” as this problem is easily rectified with a simple bite adjustment.
- A temporary filling may be used to temporarily seal the tooth between visits.
- Be gentle on the tooth while eating until the final restoration is placed.
- The gum tissue could have been irritated during the procedure and may be sore for a few days together with the anesthetic injection site.
- During endodontic treatment, the nerve, blood and nutrient supply to the tooth is removed. This will cause the tooth to become brittle and prone to fracturing which could result in the need to extract the tooth. A full coverage crown is recommended to prevent this from happening.
VENEERS
Veneer Temporaries
- Plastic temporary restorations will serve you for a short period of time while your permanent veneer is being made. They are attached only slightly to the underlying tooth so they can be removed easily.
- If a veneer comes off, call us and we will replace it immediately. If you are in a situation that will not allow you to come in, place the temporary back in place with some Fixodent™ (denture adhesive) or Den-Temp that you can get from the pharmacy. You must still see us as soon as possible.
- The size, shape, and color of the temporary does not resemble the final veneer.
- Temporary veneers may leak saliva or food onto the tooth. Sensitivity to hot, cold, pressure, or sweets is not uncommon. You may also see stains under the temporaries. These will be removed prior to final cementation.
- Avoid heavy brushing of the temporaries and do not floss between them because you may pull them off.
- Your final porcelain veneers will be as close to the natural beauty and function of teeth as possible. They look and feel normal in every way.
Permanent Veneers
- We place our veneers with the finest materials and techniques available today. However, you should be aware of the following information about your restorations:
- As with natural teeth, avoid chewing excessively hard foods on the veneered teeth (hard candy, ice, raw carrots, etc.) because the porcelain material can break under extreme forces.
- Proper brushing, flossing, and regular cleanings are essential to the long-term stability and appearance of your veneers. Often, problems that may develop with the veneers can be found at an early stage and repaired easily, while waiting for a longer time may require replacing entire restorations.
- The gums may recede from the veneers, displaying discolored tooth structure underneath. This situation usually takes place after many years and requires veneer replacement.
Periodontal Therapy (Scaling and Root Planing)
The first two weeks after your Periodontal Therapy are critical. Healing gum tissue is very susceptible to bacterial (germ) growth on the tooth roots. Your teeth need to be cleaned thoroughly twice daily, to keep the bacteria under control. (If plaque bacteria are left undisturbed for 24 hours, it forms a more tissue destructive bacteria family.)
- Be careful eating until the anesthetic wears off (about an hour or so).
- You may rinse your mouth with warm salt water. Use 1 tsp. of salt, 5 oz. of warm water, stir well and swish around entire amount.
- You may take Ibuprofen/Motrin for any tenderness that may follow the procedure.
- Your teeth may be sensitive to hot or cold. Over time this will usually improve, but to reduce this, use desensitizing toothpaste such as “Sensodyne™” or other toothpaste “for sensitive teeth”. Fluoride rinses are also beneficial in reducing the sensitivity.
Extractions
After an extraction, it’s important for a blood clot to form to stop the bleeding and begin the healing process. That’s why we ask you to bite on a gauze pad for 30 to 45 minutes after the extraction. If bleeding or oozing continues after you remove the gauze pad, place another gauze pad and bite firmly for another thirty minutes. You may have to do this several times. If bleeding hasn’t stopped with a few hours, call our office to speak to the doctor.
After the blood clot forms it is important to protect it especially for the next 24 hours. The following activities will dislodge the clot and slow down healing. Do not:
- smoke
- suck through a straw
- rinse your mouth vigorously
- spit
- clean the teeth next to the extraction site
Limit yourself to calm activities for the first 24 hours, this keeps your blood pressure lower, reduces bleeding and helps the healing process.
- After the tooth is extracted you may feel some pain and have some swelling. You can use an ice bag to keep this to a minimum. The swelling usually starts to go down after 48 hours.
- Use pain medication only as directed, and call the office if it doesn’t seem to be working. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.
- Drink lots of fluids and eat only soft nutritious foods on the day of the extraction. (Don’t use alcoholic beverages and avoid hot and spicy foods.)
- You can begin eating normally the next day or as soon as it is comfortable.
- Gently rinse your mouth with salt water three times a day beginning the day after the extraction (a tsp. of salt in a cup of warm water, rinse-swish-spit). Also, rinse gently after meals, it helps keep food out of the extraction site.
- It is very important to resume your normal dental routine after 24 hours, this should include brushing your teeth and tongue and flossing at least once a day. This speeds healing and helps keep your breath and mouth fresh.
- Call us right away if you have heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling after two or three days, or a reaction to the medication.
- After a few days you will be feeling fine and can resume your normal activities.
Please call our office if you have any further questions.
