Post-Op Care

Home Care Instructions for After Dental Procedures

After Composite Fillings (white fillings)

When an anesthetic has been used, your lips and tongue may be numb for several hours after the appointment. Avoid any chewing and hot beverages until the numbness has completely worn off. It is very easy to bite or burn your tongue or lip while you are numb.

It is normal to experience some hot, cold & pressure sensitivity after your appointment. Injection sites may also be sore. Ibuprofen (Motrin), Tylenol or aspirin (one tablet every 3-4 hours as needed for pain) work well to alleviate the tenderness; if pressure sensitivity persists for more than a couple of days and if the sensitivity to hot or cold increases, contact our office.

You may chew with your composite fillings as soon as the anesthetic completely wears off, since they are fully set when you leave the office.

If your bite feels uneven, if you have persistent pain, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please call our office at (408) 377-8200.

After Crown and Bridge Appointments

Crowns and bridges usually take two or three appointments to complete. In the first visit the teeth are prepared and molds of the mouth are taken. Temporary crowns or bridges are placed to protect the teeth while the custom restoration is being made. Since the teeth will be anesthetized, the tongue, lips and roof of the mouth may be numb. Please refrain from eating and drinking hot beverages until the numbness is completely worn off.

Occasionally a temporary crown may come off. Call us if this happens and bring the temporary crown with you so we can re-cement it. It is very important for the temporary to stay in place, as it will prevent other teeth from moving and compromising the fit of your final restoration.

To keep your temporaries in place, avoid eating sticky foods (gum), hard foods, and if possible, chew on the opposite side of your mouth. It is important to brush normally, but floss carefully and don’t pull up on the floss which may dislodge the temporary, but pull the floss out from the side of the temporary crown always placing a finger over the temporary crown to prevent it from coming off.

It is normal to experience some temperature and pressure sensitivity after each appointment. The sensitivity should subside a few weeks after the placement of the final restoration. Mild pain medications may also be used as directed by our office.

If your bite feels uneven, if you have persistent pain, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please call our office at (408) 377-8200.

Post Tooth Extraction Instructions

After tooth extraction, it’s important for a blood clot to form, stop the bleeding and begin the healing process. The following will help in a faster recovery:

Anesthesia

The feeling of numbness will begin to wear off in 30 minutes to 4 hours. Until that time, avoid all hot foods or liquids, and do not chew. This is to prevent accidentally burning or biting the lips, cheeks, inside of your mouth, or tongue until the feeling has returned. ANY CONCERNS ABOUT PROLONGED NUMBNESS, PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE.

Bleeding

It is normal for the extraction site to bleed slightly or ooze blood for 12-24 hours following surgery. Placing a piece of moist gauze over the empty tooth socket and biting down firmly 1-2 hours can control this. Change the gauze pack every 15-30 minutes, repeat if necessary. If bleeding continuous call the office immediately.

After the blood clots it is important not to disturb or dislodge the clot as this is an important part of the healing process and you must be careful. Avoid vigorous exercise for the next 24 hours as this will increase blood pressure and may cause bleeding from the extraction site.

Pain and Medications

DO NOT TAKE ASPIRIN PRODUCTS due to the possible increase in bleeding potential. If prescription medication were prescribed please follow label instructions carefully. For most extractions, a non-aspirin over the counter pain medication will provide good pain relief e.g. acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Do not take more than the manufacturer or doctor recommended dosage of any over the counter or prescription medications(s). If you experience any untoward side effects from the medications(s), please discontinue taking them, and call our office. FOR SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS OR ALLERGIC REACTIONS SEEK MEDICAL CARE IMMEDIATELY.

Diet

A liquid or soft diet should be adhered to for the first 12-24 hours. It is important to drink lots of fluids for the first day or two following the extraction. Avoid foods that are too hot or spicy for the 24 hours also foods such as rice or chips, may get caught in the extraction site causing pain and irritation. Avoid the use of a straw as it may dislodge the blood clot that is forming in the extraction site.

Oral Hygiene

After the extraction clean the rest of the mouth as usual, and avoid brushing near the extraction site for first 12-24 hours. Avoid commercial mouth rinses as they tend to irritate the site. DO NOT SMOKE for the first 24 hours following surgery. Begin gentle rinses with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon in 8oz of warm water) after meals and before bed.

DO NOT RINSE OR SWISH YOUR MOUTH for the first 24 hours following surgery.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS:

Dry Socket

Dry socket is when a blood clot fails to form in the socket where the tooth has been extracted or the clot has been dislodged and the healing is significantly delayed.

Following the post extraction instructions will reduce the chances of developing dry socket. Symptoms associated with dry socket are constant moderate to severe pain, bad taste, putrid odor, and poor clot formation at the surgical site. IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS CALL OUR OFFICE IMMEDIATELY.

Swelling

After the tooth is extracted you may feel some pain and experience some swelling. Apply an ice pack for the first 2-8 hours after the surgery to the outside of the face over the area of the extraction site, for 15 minutes or so, and then remove for 15 minutes. The swelling usually subsides after 48 hours

Fever

Healing

After a tooth has been extracted there will be a resulting hole in the area where the tooth was. In time, this will smooth and fill in with bone. This process can take many weeks or months. However after 1- 2 weeks you should no longer notice any inconvenience.

IMPORTANT

IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY SEVERE SWELLING, PROLONGED BLEEDING, SEVERE PROLONGED PAIN, HIGH FEVER, DIZZINESS, ALLERGIC TYPE REACTIONS, ETC. THAT CONCERNS YOU, PLEASE CALL US IMMEDIATELY.  IN THE EVENT YOU CANNOT REACH US OR WE DO NOT RETURN YOUR CALL WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME – GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION.

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