Chewing and eating
- If we used anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has worn off completely.
- Wait at least two hours before eating, and then select a soft diet for the first 48 to 72 hours, chewing on the opposite side of your mouth.
- Avoid alcoholic drinks and hot or spicy foods until your gums are healed.
- Don’t use any tobacco products for at least 72 hours after the procedure because tobacco slows healing.
- If we prescribed a medicated mouth rinse, use it as directed. Avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol.
Medications and discomfort
- If antibiotics were prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all signs and symptoms of infection are gone.
- To control discomfort, take pain medication before the anesthetic has worn off or as recommended. It’s normal to experience some discomfort for several days.
- To further reduce discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth very gently three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water.*
Brushing and flossing
- Brush the treated area very lightly the first night. To make this more comfortable, first rinse your brush under hot water to soften the bristles.
- The next day, begin flossing the area lightly, and gradually return to normal brushing and flossing over the next week. If your teeth are sensitive to hot cold, or pressure, use desensitizing toothpaste.
When to call us
- Please call our office if bleeding, sensitivity, or discomfort increases or continues beyond three or four days, or if you have any questions or concerns.
* If you suffer from high blood pressure, please consult with your physician before using a warm salt water rinse.
Caring for a temporary restoration
Now that you have had root canal therapy, it is important to follow these recommendations to ensure healing.
- If we placed a temporary filling or crown on your tooth, avoid chewing for at least one-half hour to allow the restoration to harden.
- To keep your temporary restoration in place, avoid eating hard or sticky foods, especially chewing gum. If possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth.
- It is common for a small portion of a temporary filling to wear away or break off, but if the entire filling comes out, or if a temporary crown comes off, call us so that it can be replaced.
Chewing and eating
- If we used anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off. Your lips, teeth, and tongue may be numb for several hours.
Medications and discomfort
- If antibiotics were prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are resolved.
- To control discomfort, take pain medication before the anesthetic has worn off or as recommended. It is normal to experience some discomfort for several days after a root canal appointment, especially when chewing.
- To further reduce discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water.*
When to call us
- Please call our office if your bite feels uneven, if you have sensitivity or discomfort that increases or continues beyond three or four days, your temporary filling or crown comes off, or you have any questions or concerns.
* If you suffer from high blood pressure, please consult with your physician before using a warm salt water rinse.
Now that we’ve placed your resin composite filling, it’s important to follow these recommendations to ensure its success.
Chewing and eating
- If we used anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has worn off completely.
Brushing and flossing
- Brush and floss normally. If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold, or pressure, use desensitizing toothpaste. If sensitivity persists beyond a few days, please call us.
Discomfort
- Your gum tissue might be sore, to reduce any discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. It’s normal for your gums to be sore for several days.*
When to call us
- Please call our office if your bite feels uneven, you have sensitivity or discomfort that increases or continues beyond three or four days. We make our best effort to adjust your bite, but at times further adjustments may be required. Please feel free to call our office if you have any questions or concerns.
* If you suffer from high blood pressure, please consult with your physician before using a warm salt water rinse.
If you have a rather large cavity, you can remove the bulk of the decay and place an “IRM” filling (Intermediate Restorative), also known as a sedative filling. This will often slow or stop the progression of decay and help the patient feel better. It also may allow the tooth time to recover and lay down secondary dentin in 4 to 6 weeks (sort of a second layer of scar tissue), sometimes eliminating the need for pulpal treatment like a root canal. Once the tooth is recovered and less inflamed, any remaining decay is removed and the final restoration (filling or crown) is placed. You mix the powder and the liquid together to make a kind of play dough material which is placed in the tooth. It hardens up in a few minutes. It usually lasts a pretty long time, but still will eventually wash out due to the biting forces and wear.
Chewing and eating
- If we used anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has worn off completely.
Brushing and flossing
- Brush and floss normally. If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold, or pressure, use desensitizing toothpaste. If sensitivity persists beyond a few days, please call us.
Discomfort
- Your gum tissue might be sore, to reduce any discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. It’s normal for your gums to be sore for several days.*
When to call us
- Please call our office if your bite feels uneven, you have sensitivity or discomfort that increases or continues beyond three or four days. We make our best effort to adjust your bite, but at times further adjustments may be required. Please feel free to call our office if you have any questions or concerns.
* If you suffer from high blood pressure, please consult with your physician before using a warm salt water rinse.
Now that we’ve placed your ¾ porcelain crown, it’s important to follow these recommendations to ensure its success.
Chewing and eating
- If we used anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has worn off completely.
Brushing and flossing
- Brush and floss normally. If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold, or pressure, use desensitizing toothpaste. If sensitivity persists beyond a few days, please call us.
Discomfort
- Your gum tissue might be sore, to reduce any discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. It’s normal for your gums to be sore for several days.*
When to call us
- Please call our office if your bite feels uneven, you have sensitivity or discomfort that increases or continues beyond three or four days. We make our best effort to adjust your bite, but at times further adjustments may be required. Please feel free to call our office if you have any questions or concerns.
* If you suffer from high blood pressure, please consult with your physician before using a warm salt water rinse.
Chewing and eating
- If we used anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off.
- Avoid chewing for at least one half-hour to allow the temporary cement to set. To keep your temporary in place, avoid eating hard or sticky foods, especially chewing gum. If possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth.
Brushing and flossing
- Brush normally, but floss very carefully. We may recommend special floss, brushes, or other cleaning aids to keep the area free of bacteria. If your teeth are sensitive to hot cold, or pressure, use desensitizing toothpaste. If sensitivity increases or persists beyond a few days, please call us.
Medication and discomfort
- Take antibiotics or other medications only as directed. To reduce any discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. It’s normal for your gums to be sore for several days.*
When to call us
- Please call us if your temporary bridge or crown comes off, save the temporary so we can recement it. It’s very important for the proper fit of your final bridge or crown that your temporary stays in place.
- Please call our office if your bite feels uneven, you have persistent sensitivity or discomfort, or if you have any questions or concerns.
* If you suffer from high blood pressure, please consult with your physician before using a warm salt water rinse.
Dental bridges need regular cleaning. When you have a dental bridge, it is important to keep the adjacent teeth and gums healthy so they can continue to provide support for the bridge. At first, it may be challenging to keep your bridge and the adjacent gums and teeth plaque-free, but a variety of tools and techniques can dramatically improve the effectiveness of your homecare routine.
Brushing and flossing
- Brush and floss your teeth and gums normally after each meal to keep your mouth healthy. Make sure to brush and floss the abutment teeth carefully to keep them strong and healthy.
- Use superfloss and floss threaders to keep the area between the artificial tooth and your gums free of plaque. Superfloss has a stiff end that helps you pass it through tight areas. It also has a fuzzy, tufted segment that removes plaque and food particles from your gums and the bridge as you floss. Just insert the superfloss between the bridge and your gums, and floss the area completely.
- A floss threader has one thin, stiff end and a loop through which you can thread dental floss. To use a floss threader, pull about 18 inches of floss through the floss threader, and then insert the threader into the tight spots between the bridge and your gums. Pull the threader until the floss is under your bridge, remove the threader from your mouth, and then use the dental floss as you normally would.
Other tools and techniques
Depending on the situation, we may recommend additional tools and techniques to help keep all the areas around your bridge plaque-free. These may include an oral irrigator, small brushes, or other devices. We also set up regular dental checkups to maintain the success of your bridge.
With time, your bridge and your new oral hygiene routine will become familiar and comfortable.
The following instructions are provided to maximize your comfort, and to increase the possibility of successful treatment. Please read them carefully and refer to them as needed.
- Most patients experience mild discomfort once the anesthetic begins to wear off. Take the prescribed pain medication as directed as soon as possible, even if your pain threshold is high. The anti-inflammatory effects of the medication will help you to recover more rapidly.
- A nourishing, soft diet of high proteins and plenty of fluids will aid in healing. Avoid hot foods and beverages as their high temperature might cause more bleeding. Also avoid spicy, acidic, and salty foods. Below you will find a list of foods that provide nourishment with little if any chewing necessary for swallowing. DO NOT USE A STRAW. IT MAY CAUSE MORE BLEEDING.
- A diet consisting of the following food items is recommended for the first three days following the surgery.
- Broths
- Soups
- Chopped or ground meat
- Yogurt
- Fish
- Pasta
- Custards or puddings
- Malted milk and shakes
- Ice cream
- Jello
- Eggs
- Rice
- Food supplement such as Ensure or Carnation instant breakfast
- Do not chew on the treated side of your mouth.
- Some swelling and puffiness is expected after periodontal procedures. This could be minimized by holding ice with light pressure on the outside of your face, adjacent to the treated area for the first 24 hours after surgery, ten minutes on/ten minutes off. After the first 24 hours, stop using the ice pack.
- Brushing and flossing are only permitted in the non-treated areas of your mouth starting the day following the treatment.
- If antibiotics are prescribed, please make sure you finish the medication. Also, women using birth control pills must use additional contraceptive methods for the month in which the antibiotics have been prescribed.
- Avoid excessive exertion of any type (jogging, hiking, weight lifting, etc.) for twenty-four hours after surgery.
- Occasional blood stains in saliva are expected and considered normal.
- Avoid smoking and drinking carbonated beverages for the first 24 hours.
- In the event of continuous bleeding, contact the office.
Protecting your implants
Now that final restorations have been placed on your implants, it’s important to follow these recommendations to ensure their success.
- Avoid using any tobacco products. Ideally, you should quit altogether because tobacco slows healing and increases the risk that your body will reject the implants. Tobacco is the leading cause of implant failure.
- Avoid grinding and clenching your teeth because this can damage the implants and restorations. If grinding and clenching continue to be a problem, we may need to adjust the restorations or have you wear a night guard.
Chewing and eating
- If we used anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has worn off completely.
- To protect your implants and restorations, avoid chewing ice and other hard objects.
Brushing and flossing
- Brush and floss around your implants thoroughly but gently. We may recommend special floss, brushes, mouth rinses, or other cleaning aids to keep the area free of bacteria.
- Brush and floss your gums and natural teeth normally.
Medication and discomfort
- Take antibiotics or other medications only as directed.
- To reduce discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day for two weeks with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. It’s normal for your gums to be sore and swollen for a few days.*
When to call us
- At times the screw holding the restoration may become loose or your bite may feel uneven. Please call us, so we can adjust them.
- Also, call us if you have persistent swelling or discomfort, or if you have any questions or concerns.
* If you suffer from high blood pressure, please consult with your physician before using a warm salt water rinse.
It’s important that your dentures, like natural teeth, be kept free from plaque and tartar. This prevents permanent staining and bad breath.
- Use a denture brush and one of the many commercial cleaning products to thoroughly clean all of the surfaces of your dentures at least once a day.
- Using a soft bristled toothbrush, brush your remaining teeth, as well as your tongue, palate, and gums. This not only removes plaque and keeps your breath fresh, it also massages your gums and stimulates circulation, keeping your natural teeth and tissues healthy.
- Tough stains and tartar can be removed by soaking your dentures in white vinegar for several hours.
- After you’ve cleaned your dentures, always remember to rinse them in water before placing them in your mouth.
- If your dentures have no metal parts, you can soak them in a diluted bleach solution to remove tough stains.
- Never soak your dentures in a cleaning agent for more than 15 minutes if they have any metal parts.
- Whenever they are out of your mouth, your dentures should be stored in water.
- Your gums need a period of rest in order to remain healthy, so don’t wear your dentures to bed at night.
- See us regularly for examinations to ensure that your dentures fit properly and your mouth stays healthy.
- Always let us know right away if you notice any changes in your bite or fit.
- Prior to night guard placement in the mouth, brush and floss your teeth.
- To insert the appliance, use the forefinger and thumb of both hands to guide the appliance into place over your teeth. Then gently close your teeth together to insure the appliance is fully seated.
- To remove of the appliance, use the forefinger and thumb of both hands to grasp the appliance from the back corners. Use equal pull on both sides of the appliance from your teeth.
Cleaning of the appliance
- The use of mild toothpaste abrasive is recommended. The use of “over the counter” denture cleaners with a maximum 15 minute soak will help manage any accumulation of minerals and stains.
- Brush the appliance under cold tap water with a soft brush.
Storage of your appliance
- Allow the appliance to air dry. Air drying helps dissipate the opaque appearance caused by excessive moisture.
- Place the appliance in the container provided by our office.
- Storing your appliance in a moist dark container could allow harmful bacteria to grow and cause discoloration of the appliance.
- Store safely from pets and children.
- Contact our office if changes in your symptoms or bite occur.
- Remember to bring the appliance with you at your cleaning appointments to verify the fit and occlusion.
