Before & After Treatment Care is Important!

We want to make sure that your treatment is successful and that you know how to take proper care of yourself following treatment.

It can be easy to forget all the instructions we give at the end of your dental appointment - so here is a handy guide to remind you!

After a Dental Hygiene Appointment

Scaling is a common dental procedure where a dental professional removes plaque, tartar, and stains from the teeth for routine.

Scaling and root planning (SRP) is performed to treat gum disease, it involves deep cleaning of the teeth and roots to remove plaque, tartar, and bacteria that have accumulated below the gum line.

Both procedures are highly effective treatments for the maintenance of oral health, but proper post-procedure care is essential.

    • If you've had fluoride treatment, please hold off eating, or brushing for the period of time recommended by your dentist.

    • After this procedure, your gums will probably be slightly sore and irritated for a few days. You should rinse your mouth with warm salt water (1 tsp salt/8 oz water) 2-3 times a day. This will relieve the pain and cleanse the area.

    • If you have received anesthesia do not eat anything until the numbness has worn off.

    • Continue your regular brushing and flossing home routine.

    • You may experience some cold and heat sensitivity (especially after deep cleaning), use a sensitive toothpaste (e.g. Sensodyne) to help reduce sensitivity.

After a filling Appointment

After getting a filling, you need to take good care of your teeth to ensure they heal properly and avoid problems. The following are some recommendations for maintaining restorations

    • You can start eating or drinking hot beverages once the freezing (anesthetic) wears off.

    • If you've had a white (composite) filling placed, you may chew on that tooth right away.

    • If you've had a silver (amalgam) filling placed, avoid chewing on that tooth for 24 hours to allow the filling material to set completely.

    • Temperature sensitivity is a common post-operative symptom, especially with deep fillings, you can use Sensitive-tooth toothpaste and avoid hot and cold foods for a while.

      • Sensitivity generally goes away in a short period of time. It can last from several days to several weeks.

      • Please contact our office if symptoms persist, do not decline or are not manageable

    • Because of difficulty in determining an accurate bite because of numbness, sometimes fillings may seem high or “taller” than other teeth. If this is the case, you must call the office for a quick adjustment appointment.

    • If you are supervising children who had fillings done, make sure they don’t bite on their numb lips or tongue (it can cause serious injury to their soft tissue).

    • Your home care routine can keep your teeth, gums, and fillings healthy.

      • This involves brushing twice a day and treating your filling like your natural teeth.

    • By keeping up with your regular dental exams and cleanings, you can avoid needing fillings in the future.

After a Crown or Bridge Preparation Appointment

Crowns and bridges sometimes take one or more appointments to complete. On the first appointment, the tooth/teeth are prepared, impressions are taken, and a temporary crown is placed on your tooth/teeth.

    • Depending on the anesthetic used, patients will typically be numb for a few hours following the appointment, avoid chewing on your teeth until the freezing (anesthetic) wears off.

    • It is common for the jaw and gums to be sore following the procedure, if your gums around the tooth feel sore, you can rinse your mouth with warm salt and water to help speed up healing. Please contact our office if this soreness is not manageable.

    • It is common for the tooth to feel temperature-sensitive after the appointment. You can use an anti-inflammatory painkiller such as ibuprofen to help with the discomfort.

    • Continue your normal brushing but be careful while flossing around the temporary restoration. When flossing around the temporary crown/bridge, pull the floss out towards the side - do not pull floss upwards or downwards. This may dislodge the temporary restoration. Use the floss threaders to clean under a temporary bridge

    • A temporary crown is usually made of plastic-based material. It is placed to protect the tooth and prevent other teeth from moving. If the temporary crown/bridge comes off, please put it back on with some Vaseline or chapstick.

      • Do not leave a temporary crown/bridge off of the tooth, even if it doesn’t hurt.

      • If you are having trouble putting it back on, or if it is broken, please make an appointment to see us to have it replaced as soon as possible.

      • To avoid losing your temporary crown/s, do not chew on sticky or hard food (chewing gum, ice). Try to chew on the opposite side of the temporary as much as possible

    • After the permanent restoration is placed you may feel slight pressure for a few days. Use warms salt and water to help alleviate any pressure or gum tenderness.

    • The bite should feel normal when the anesthetic wears off. If the bite feels uneven or if you feel discomfort when chewing on the tooth, call our office. Delaying the necessary adjustments may damage the tooth permanently.

    • It is imperative to continue proper brushing and flossing daily. The underlying tooth is still vulnerable to decay.

    • Proper maintenance will not only prolong the life of the new restoration but will also help to prevent problems elsewhere in your mouth.

After a Root Canal Appointment

Though some of the root canal treatments are completed in one appointment, at times, root canal therapy may take more than one appointment to complete.

    • It is normal to experience some discomfort for several days after a root canal procedure.

    • To control discomfort, You can use any over-the-counter pain medication as recommended.

      • Taking ibuprofen before the numbness wears off can greatly reduce post-operative pain.

      • If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them as directed, even if all signs and symptoms of infection are gone.

      • If you have signs of swelling or increasing pain, please contact our office.

    • Usually, the last step in a root canal is the placement of a crown or permanent filling in the tooth. A crown will protect the tooth from breaking in the future.

    • Avoid chewing hard food on the tooth until a crown has been placed, as its structure is weak, and the tooth may fracture under normal chewing forces.

    • Follow up with the placement of your permanent restoration as you have been advised

    • Since an anesthetic has been used, parts of your mouth may be numb for several hours after the appointment, please avoid chewing and drinking hot beverages until the freezing (anesthetic) wears off.

    • To safeguard the tooth between sessions, a temporary filling has been placed on. It is usual for a tiny amount of your temporary filling to wear away or break off, which is not an issue. If the entire filling falls out, please get in touch with our office to have it replaced.

    • Until the permanent restoration is placed, be very gentle with the tooth avoid eating hard or sticky food (such as gum), and try to chew on the opposite side.

After a Tooth Extraction Appointment

After the extraction, the gauze pad we placed is a protective bandage that should be left under light pressure for two hours. The presence of heavy bleeding is not typical. However, this may be controlled by placing clean gauze directly over the surgical site and applying hard pressure for around one hour, or until the bleeding is under control.

Call the office at any time or report to the emergency room if bleeding persists.

    • It is common to experience swelling following extractions. Please manage with icy cold compresses for 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off, as needed for the first day or 24 hours.

    • Starting the second day or hours 24-48, warm compresses can be used to promote healing.

    • It is common to experience soreness in the jaws and the areas of extractions.

      • Pain management is extremely important. For better healing, stay one-step ahead of your pain. we will discuss with you options to manage pain.

    • Depending upon the anesthetic used, your mouth will be numb for a few hours following an extraction procedure. If numbness persists for more than 12 hours, contact your dentist.

    • The first twenty-four hours should involve limited activity, rest quietly with your head elevated. Two to three days of relaxation are recommended, followed by a gradual resumption of activities as tolerated. Vigorous physical activity and sports should not be resumed until the extraction site is pain-free, edema has subsided, and the diet is as normal as possible.

    • Nourishment should not be neglected. On the day of the procedure, a light diet is recommended (instant breakfast, Jell‐O, soups, protein shakes, etc.). The next day, a gradual transition from a soft diet to a regular diet, as tolerated, may begin.

      • You should refrain from using straws for 48h, as doing so could dislodge the blood clot.

    • If antibiotics were prescribed, please take them as directed throughout the recommended course.

    • Do not disrupt the blood clot at the extraction site. We want that blood clot to form to help stimulate the healing process.So please do not brush your teeth for the first night after the extraction, also avoid spitting and swishing.

    • Smoking should be stopped for at least 24h after the extraction, healing time will be reduced and the chance for a successful outcome will increase.

    • After 24h from the procedure and for the next two weeks, “gently” rinse your mouth 3-4 times daily with warm salt and water (¼ tsp of salt in 8oz of warm water).

    • Avoid “forcefully” rinsing your mouth during the healing process.

    • Please avoid commercial mouth rinses containing alcohol during the healing period.

    • If sutures were placed, they are self‐absorbing. Within five to seven days, stitches will dissolve completely. There is no need to return to the office to have them removed.

    • If you lose the blood clot where your tooth was extracted, you’ll feel pain in the area, this is known as Dry socket pain. Please contact our office as you may need a dressing placed to help the area heal.

After a denture delivery

Most new dentures require a breaking-in period before they become comfortable. This length of time varies with each patient. It may take some time to get used to eating, talking and wearing your denture.

Any new denture may bring some discomfort at the beginning and may need several adjustments to fit completely and comfortably in your mouth. If you find that the dentures are causing sore spots, call the office to book an appointment to have them adjusted.

Speech may also be affected during the first few days. A good practice to condition your mouth is by reading a book or newspaper aloud for several minutes a day. Your tongue and other muscles will get used to your dentures as you do this every day.

    • You should take the dentures out every night and keep them in a clean container filled with water or denture cleaning solution.

    • Your gums need to rest and be without the dentures every day for a period of time.

    • Clean your dentures using a brush, scent-free liquid hand soap and water after taking them out at night and before wearing them back.

    • Call our office if you are experiencing pain, or discomfort, or if you have any questions.

    • Few notes:

      • You shouldn’t use bleach on your dentures, Bleach will bleach the pink acrylic part of your dentures and will weaken the denture material.

      • Your gum tissue is constantly changing, and bone loss will eventually occur. This will result in your dentures becoming loose and unfitting.

      • When this occurs, you may visit our office to have your dentures relined or to have new dentures fabricated.

      • If your dentures break, please never attempt to fix them yourself. Bring them to your dentist for them to be submitted to a dental laboratory. Depending on the circumstances, you may be without them for a few days while they are being fixed.

After a Occlusal Appliance or Nightguard Delivery

If you are concerned about getting used to your guard, especially if this is your first appliance, then consider using it during daytime on and off for a few days or weeks as an adjustment period.

At first you may salivate more than normal, as you use it more the salivary secretion will slowly decrease till it goes back to normal.

Once you find you no longer notice it, you will be able to wear it comfortably while you sleep.

    • Please clean your appliance with a toothbrush, scent free liquid hand soap and water only.

    • Please do not use toothpaste, baking soda or bleach to clean your appliance. Using these items may create pores in your appliance leading to a breakdown in materials.

    • To Disinfect:

      • You can purchase over-the-counter “clear retainer” solution or tablets for weekly cleaning of the night guard.

      • Your appliance may need adjustments. Please contact your dentist if yoU should feel discomfort or pain.