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Post-Op
POST-OP

Please Call Us With Any Questions

Dentures Or Partials

• Eat softer foods to begin with when possible to ease any adjustment; work your way to harder foods.
• If you have full dentures, it’s easier to cut food up and chew it on both sides for stability front than to chew with your front teeth alone.
• Clean your dentures twice daily using an antibacterial dish soap and denture brush; if you have partial dentures, brush your natural teeth with a soft-bristled brush, while gently massaging the gums.
• Soak your dentures nightly in a denture bath; never let them dry out, as it will cause brittleness.
• While it is normal for new dentures to cause the gums to be sore in spots (which can be helped by rinsing with saltwater), please call us if anything changes with the fit.
• Schedule bi-annual cleanings with the dentist as you normally would so we can check your mouth for complete oral health, including oral cancer exams.
Crowns And Bridges
While wearing the temporary crown or bridge before the permanent one is ready, be sure to avoid sticky and harder foods, as they may pull it out of place. It’s very important that it stay in place until the permanent one is ready. 

Brush the temporary just as you would your normal teeth, including around the gum line. When flossing, place the floss in between teeth as usual, but pull it out through the side rather than back up. 

If it does dislodge, try to place it back with toothpaste and call our office for an appointment time to re-cement it. 

Finally, sensitivity to hot and cold foods and drinks may be experienced while wearing the temporary, especially to cold. Try and avoid them if they give you trouble. If you experience sore gums following its placement, rinse with a solution of 1 tsp. of salt in 8 oz. of warm water. If the soreness persists for more than a week, please call our office. You can also use ibuprofen, but not more than 600mg every 4-6 hours, or 1000mg of Tylenol every 6 hours. 
Fillings
If local anesthesia was used, avoid chewing until it’s fully worn off, so you don’t bite your lip or tongue by accident. Your regular diet is fine, and you may brush and floss normally right away. 

Cold sensitivity and soreness when chewing is normal for a few days. Use 600mg of ibuprofen or 1000mg of Tylenol to relieve it. If the sensitivity does not improve, if you develop a toothache, or if you feel your bite is uneven, please call our office. 
Implant Surgery
Please keep in mind that dental implants are a surgical procedure. Therefore, as with any other surgery, there is the potential for localized soreness, swelling, and mild bleeding. You can use 600mg of ibuprofen or 1000mg of Tylenol to help with any pain. If we prescribed you a pain medication, please take it only as directed. Since all pain meds can cause nausea, please try to take them with food. Any moderate to severe pain typically peaks on the third post-op day and relief begins on the fourth. 

Try not to chew, spit, or rinse excessively for the first 24 hours, as the tissues will not heal properly, and infection and/or bleeding may occur as a result. Please try not to smoke at all, as it may even cause the implant to fail. 

Don’t worry about the stitches coming out. Most of the time, they dissolve within 5-7 days and do not need to be removed anyhow. However, if silk sutures were used, they do need to be removed. 

Rinse your mouth with saltwater (1 tsp. of salt for every 8 oz. of water) beginning 24 hours after surgery and repeat thrice daily for a week. Brush your teeth the first day after surgery but be careful around the site. 

Sometimes, the screw on top of the implant comes out. While it won’t affect the implant’s stability at all, it does need to be replaced. Please make an appointment with us as soon as possible. 
Night Guards
If you have had a custom mouth guard made to prevent teeth grinding, don’t ever try to force it into place. Rough handling can cause it to break. While the guard may take some getting used to, it’s very important to use it regularly. After the first week, most patients become comfortable with its use. Your front teeth may also be sore to start, but that should subside after a week. 

Be sure to clean your night guard at least three times per week using dish soap and a toothbrush. But be careful! Brushing too hard can cause damage. When you aren’t using it, be sure to store it in the provided case. Please call our office with any concerns. 
Porcelain Veneers
Refrain from eating for at least two hours or until the anesthesia wears off. While wearing the temporary veneers, brush and floss as you normally would, but pull the floss out through the side of the tooth to avoid displacement. If the temporary comes off between appointments, slip it back on as best you can using denture adhesive and call us so we can replace it for you. 

Patients can experience temperature sensitivity, especially to cold. Avoid very hot and cold foods for the first few days. If your gums are tender, rinse with saltwater or use ibuprofen or Tylenol for relief. 

While your veneers will take some getting used to, please call our office if you feel like your bite isn’t right. 

Finally, be sure to brush and floss your veneers just like normal teeth, especially at the gum line. Regular care will prolong the lifespan. 
Teeth Extractions
Some bleeding is to be expected when a tooth is removed. If the bleeding hasn’t stopped after about 3-4 hours biting on gauze, bite on a damp tea bag placed over the site. The tannic acid helps with clotting. Some swelling may also be present and can be minimized with ice packs. Apply them directly over the area for 20 minutes, then remove it for 20 minutes. 

Post-op pain will be most severe on the first day. You may want to take your prescribed pain meds before the anesthesia completely wears off. Use 600mg of ibuprofen every 4-6 hours or 1000mg of Tylenol every 6 hours for moderate pain. Prescribed meds can make your drowsy, so do not drive or operate heavy machinery while taking them. 

If you have been prescribed antibiotics to prevent infection, please take them as indicated and be sure to finish them all. (Those on birth control pills should note that antibiotics can decrease their effectiveness.) 

Try not to smoke, as it can stunt the healing process and promote infection. Smoking can also cause “dry sockets,” which occur when the blood clot in it is lost. They are very painful. 

Any sutures used should dissolve within 7-10 days. Unless silk sutures were used, you do not need to have them removed at the office. 

Start rinsing your mouth with saltwater 24 hours following the procedure and repeat thrice daily for a week. You can brush normally on the first day but be careful around the extraction site. 
Root Canals
Don’t eat for at least two hours afterward, or until the numbing agent has worn off to prevent biting your cheek or tongue. This also allows ample time for the temporary filling to harden. The area will be sore, so it’s best to avoid harder foods at first. Soreness typically goes away in 7-10 days. 

Take any antibiotic or pain medication as prescribed. Please call us if you experience any of the following:
• Medication reaction
• Increased soreness or tenderness in the area
• A displaced temporary filling
• A fracture

We will place a permanent crown once therapy is complete unless we tell you otherwise. 
Scaling And Root Planing
It’s important to note that the effectiveness of any oral health regimen depends upon you, the patient. While there’s no cure for gum disease, is it manageable with regular brushing and flossing, as well as bi-annual cleanings and check-ups at the dentist. Scaling and root planing are two techniques we use to remove plaque that has built up on your tooth enamel. 

You may have sore gums following this, especially if we have used anesthesia and it is wearing off. But that should go away in a few hours. You can take Tylenol or ibuprofen every 4 hours to reduce any pain, but do not use aspirin. 

Your teeth may also be sensitive to hot and cold foods, as well as sweet ones. However, this also tends to decrease rather rapidly. You can apply a desensitizing fluoride agent to reduce it. 

When you brush your teeth for the first few times following treatment, your gums may bleed slightly. That will also steadily go down. 

Finally, you may notice your gums reshaping themselves around teeth, as they will be not as prone to swelling following treatment. This is very normal. 

You may want to avoid crunchy and hard foods following treatment for a bit as well, or at least until the soreness is gone. If we used anesthesia, do not chew until it wears off to avoid biting yourself by accident. 

Brush your teeth gingerly but completely at a 45-degree angle. Floss tightly and move the floss down until you begin to feel resistance. If you are coming off scaling and root planing, rinse with chlorhexidine twice daily for 30 seconds. Otherwise, use Listerine in the morning and ACT fluoride rinse at night. Use each for 30 seconds as well, but DO NOT rinse with water or eat for 30 minutes afterward. 

We invite you to call our office with any questions. We’d be more than happy to help. 
Teeth Whitening Directions
In order to get the best results out of your whitening treatment, please do the following:
• Brush & floss
• Put a small amount (no more than 1/3 of the syringe) of whitening gel in the tray along the inside front portion of each tooth
• Put the trays over your teeth and tap them into place
• Run your finger along your teeth and remove any extra gel or use a cotton swab to do so
• Apply the gel for at least 4 hours and do not eat or drink while wearing the trays
• Trays can be worn overnight
• Try not to swallow any gel when taking off the trays
• Rinse with water then brush your teeth directly after removal
• Clean the trays with cold water and a cotton swab or soft brush, then store them in the provided case

You should notice results after 3-4 days. If your teeth become unbearably sensitive, stop the treatment and call us. We can also give you a fluoride gel beforehand that reduces sensitivity at no cost. You can also decrease the frequency of treatment to every other day if it’s still too much. Continue treatment until the desired shade is reached. The best results are typically seen in 2-3 weeks. 

Once you have your beautiful, white smile, maintain it by not smoking and partaking in too many foods and drinks that can stain, such as red wine and coffee. Updated research has shown that you can use a whitening treatment one night every month to maintain the shade. Please call our office if you need anything. 
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